The Chrysler Brand to Support Bullying Prevention Initiative through "Drive for the Kids" Program

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• As Chrysler Group LLC celebrates the 30th anniversary of the minivan and students are back in school, the Chrysler brand's "Drive for the Kids" program will supports Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights bullying prevention initiative
• October is national "Bullying Prevention Month"

The Chrysler brand will continue its support of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights' bullying prevention initiative – RFK Project SEATBELT – to coincide with students now back in school.  The campaign will include digital and social media elements, including an online "pledge" that empowers students to engage their communities to prevent bullying. The Chrysler brand, which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the minivan, will also employ its Drive for the Kids program to support the measure.  More information about the Chrysler brand's support of the RFK Project SEATBELT bullying prevention initiative (which launched online in June 2013) can be found at www.projectseatbelt.org and Chrysler brand's Facebook Page/Drive for Kids Tab.

"The Chrysler brand is committed to using its resources to help build strong and safe communities, and that includes education about bullying prevention," said Saad Chehab, President & CEO, Chrysler brand, Chrysler Group LLC.  "As the Chrysler Group LLC marks the 30th anniversary of the minivan and our 'Drive for the Kids' continues through this fall with our Town & Country minivan, we wanted to utilize that program to both support and foster conversation about this important issue."

In addition to the Drive for the Kids integration through the Chrysler brand's Facebook page, the bullying prevention initiative will include a social presence through the Chrysler brand's Imported from Detroit site.  As part of the initiative, Chrysler, RFK Project SEATBELT and Google+ will also offer engagement through five "Hangouts" throughout the month of October that are led by experts to foster conversation about the topic. The "Hangouts" can be seen live on Chrysler's YouTube Channel or visit afterwards to watch a recorded version.  The schedule for October's "Hangouts" are as follows:

- How to Set an Example to Help Prevent Bullying: An Educator's Perspective (October 10 from 2:00pm-3:30pm ET)

- Youth Leadership: How Youth Can Change the Culture of Bullying (October 17 from 3:00pm-4:30pm ET

- How to Set an Example to Help Prevent Bullying: A Parent's Perspective (October 23 from 3:00pm-4:30pm ET

- Youth at Risk: Why Some Bully and Some Are Bullied (October 30 from 2:00pm–3:00pm ET) 

The Chrysler brand is supporting RFK Project SEATBELT's "Trick or Treat for Bullying Prevention" campaign during the month of October. The campaign empowers students to engage their community by encouraging adults to sign a pledge to prevent bullying. Student registration and the pledge to promise to take a stand to prevent bullying can be found at www.projectseatbelt.org and Chrysler brand's Facebook Page/Drive for Kids Tab. In addition, schools participating in the Drive for the Kids program will receive a kit from RFK Project SEATBELT with bullying prevention materials to share with their students and parents, and the Town & Country vehicles will play a video speaking to bullying prevention on its in-car video monitor during the drives.

Since its inception the national Drive for the Kids program has raised almost five million dollars for education through test drives of the Town & Country® minivan. With over 300 schools participating nationwide, the top five schools with the most test drives from their individual Drive for the Kids events, taking place now through the end of 2013, will each receive $5,000 through the Chrysler brand's Drive for the Kids initiative.

About Drive for the Kids 
Chrysler brand has long been committed to enriching the lives of youth across America. Since 1993, when Drive for the Kids was first introduced, the Chrysler brand and its dealers have worked with parents and educators in communities across the nation contributing almost $5 million directly to local schools for student needs. Participating schools received a $10 contribution from Chrysler brand on behalf of everyone who took a brief test drive in a Town & Country minivan— the highest-ranking minivan in the J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Initial Quality Study^SM—or another Chrysler brand vehicle that was available for test drive on the day of a test drive event. From playgrounds and field trips to reading programs and new computers, the Chrysler brand is proud of this tradition of community involvement.  In 2013, the Chrysler brand has planned over 300 Drive for the Kids events across the country.

About RFK Project SEATBELT:
RFK Project SEATBELT (Safe Environments Achieved Through Bullying prevention, Engagement, Leadership & Teaching respect; projectseatbelt.org) was designed by Dr. Deborah Temkin, who previously led the White House bullying prevention efforts at the U.S. Department of Education. In partnership with the Making Caring Common project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Safe School Certification Program in Iowa, the initiative provides accessible, evidence-based resources to prevent bullying for parents, educators, and community members. And the name SEATBELT, along with being an acronym, is a response to those who say bullying is an ingrained behavior that is unlikely to change, and a reference to the profound shift in social mores over the last few decades that has made putting on a seat belt in a car an automatic behavior, where once it was considered optional.  The initiative launched online in June 2013 at www.projectseatbelt.org.

About Chrysler brand
The Chrysler brand has delighted customers with distinctive designs, craftsmanship, intuitive innovation and technology all at an extraordinary value since the company was founded in 1926.

Whether it is the groundbreaking, bold design of the Chrysler 300, the sleek elegant styling of the Chrysler 200 Convertible, or the family room on wheels functionality of the Chrysler Town & Country, Chrysler brand vehicles reward the passion, creativity and sense of accomplishment of its owners. Beyond just exceptionally designed vehicles, the Chrysler brand has incorporated thoughtful features into all of its products, such as the Stow 'n Go® seating and storage system on the Chrysler Town & Country, the fuel-saving Fuel Saver Technology in the Chrysler 300 and Uconnect phone utilizing Bluetooth technology on the Chrysler 200 and Chrysler 200 Convertible.

The world-class interior of the Chrysler Town & Country minivan is beautifully crafted with high-quality materials that are soft to the touch, and offers tech-savvy entertainment features and smart storage and seating options including Stow 'n Go® seating with one-touch fold-down function, dual DVD entertainment system, navigation and SIRIUSXM satellite radio with Travel Link making the Chrysler Town & Country the ultimate family vehicle. A 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine is a "Ward's 10 Best Engine" and produces a best-in-class 283 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with a fuel economizer mode. Town & Country achieves 17 miles per gallon in the city, 25 on the highway.

The Chrysler brand's succession of innovative product introductions continues to solidify the brand's standing as the leader in design, engineering and value. The premium for the Chrysler brand is in the product, not the price. 

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC