MAZDA ANNOUNCES ITS 2014 MAZDA DRIVE FOR GOOD CHARITY EVENT

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced the second-annual Mazda Drive for Good™ winter event and partnership with NBCUniversal. The 2014 Mazda Drive for Good event will increase opportunities for charitable donations, will include a larger local outreach through additional charities, and of course include the donation of thousands of charitable service hours from Mazda and Mazda dealer employees. Mazda has partnered with NBCUniversal to help expand the reach of the Mazda Drive for Good campaign across the company's portfolio and ultimately serve one lucky community in need of charitable assistance.

"Mazda Drive for Good started as an idea, a way to bring together the good things Mazda, its employees, its dealers and its business partners were doing in their local community," explained Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. "From there it grew into a way for Mazda to reach new heights in charitable giving, whether monetarily or through volunteer service. Mazda is honored to expand our efforts further by partnering with NBCUniversal and helping a community that needs an extra hand to achieve its goal."

"We are excited to team up with Mazda around their 'Mazda Drive for Good' campaign and inspire philanthropic activities in communities across the country," said Alison Tarrant, Executive Vice President, Client Solutions Group, NBCUniversal. "Through the unmatched scale of our portfolio, NBCUniversal has partnered with Mazda for a unique and custom program that empowers our passionate audiences during the most charitable time of the year."

Together, Mazda and NBCUniversal aim to help communities, across the country, that have a non-profit project in need of resources. The partnership will span across NBCUniversal's broadcast, cable and digital networks with calls for nominations featuring actress, Academy Award® nominee and philanthropist, Minnie Driver. Viewers will be encouraged to nominate themselves through an online contest where they can tell their story and why their community needs assistance. Submissions will be received starting October 27^th and end November 12^th. Consumers can submit their story via NBC.com/MazdaDrive4Good.

The selected community representative will be surprised by Driver and attend NBC's annual Rockefeller Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center on December 3^rd. Custom creative spots, produced by NBCUniversal's Content Innovation Agency, featuring Driver, and their community will highlight their story. Mazda commits to helping this community through monetary donation and volunteer service.

"The differentiating factor for the Mazda Drive for Good event is the pledged volunteer hours," added O'Sullivan. "It helps bring the program to a local level by providing charities much need hands-on support."

The Mazda Drive for Good winter event is in its second year of fundraising and Mazda has announced that it will increase its monetary donation from $100 to $150 per new Mazda sold or leased between November 21, 2014 and January 2, 2015. Mazda stands to again differentiate itself again by pledging one hour of charitable service for every test drive of a new Mazda throughout this same time period. Mazda will again work through four national charities and 42 local charities, all of which will be announced at a later date.

The 2013 Mazda Drive for Good winter event was the first time this charitable event was held. Results were astounding as Mazda donated more than $2.7 million to charity and pledged more than 56,000 service hours. Mazda partnered with four national charities including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital^®, American Red Cross, American Heart Association, and Mazda Foundation, and reached locally through its dealers and 32 local charities. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7dhKGFtlGc

Follow the social conversation on Twitter at #MazdaDrive4Good.

About Mazda North American Operations
Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers.  Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.  For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com.

About NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

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SOURCE Mazda North American Operations