Monday, April 10, 2006

Volkswagen's Force of Good Tour to Deliver 13,000 Meals Across New York City

Text from Volkswagen of America.
NEW YORK CITY – Volkswagen of America, Inc. will take its national Force of Good tour to the next level during the New York International Auto Show. In the latest phase of the Force of Good project, which has been using New Beetles to carry out random acts of kindness across the country, a troop of 22 New Beetles and Touaregs will pair with senior centers and meal service organizations to deliver more than 13,000 meals to homebound seniors in New York City in the coming days.

From April 7 -17, Volkswagen will work with Citymeals-on-Wheels staff and volunteers to deliver nearly 1,700 meals each day. Additionally, Volkswagen has donated two Touaregs that Citymeals-on-Wheels will continue to utilize to feed New York’s needy seniors through August.

“The Force of Good tour celebrates the kindness and generosity of Volkswagen owners from coast-to-coast,” said Heidi Korte, brand promotions manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Individually, Volkswagen owners make significant contributions to their communities. The Force of Good tour was created to build on such charitable giving. It represents the collective goodwill of all Volkswagen owners.”

Since November, New Beetles have been spreading good cheer across the country by handing out free coffee to commuters stuck in traffic, maps to city tourists and visitors, feeding parking meters and paying tolls. The Force of Good tour recently teamed up with Habitat for Humanity in San Francisco and the Suite Dreams project in Detroit, where a young cancer patient was presented with a newly decorated bedroom.

“We are excited about this opportunity to partner with Volkswagen,” said Marcia Stein, Executive Director of Citymeals-on-Wheels. “Our needs within the community continue to increase and the Force of Good Tour is a fun way to help draw attention and additional support to Citymeals-on-Wheels.”

Video footage showing the Force of Good tour in action will be shown at Volkswagen’s booth at the New York International Auto Show, and online at www.vwpodcast.com, starting Wednesday, April 12, 2006. During the show, Volkswagen will donate $1 to Citymeals-on-Wheels every time someone subscribes to a podcast from vwpodcast.com or the VW Music Bar, up to $1,000 each day. The podcast content includes music from local emerging NYC artists and bands such as My Better Half, Moto Star, The Mugs and many more. Also featured on the podcasts are VW commercials and videos, auto show walking tour videos, and a demonstration on how to make the "VDUB Representin'" hand sign, as seen in GTI commercials.

Volkswagen expects donations from the downloads to reach the $12,000 range. At $5 per meal, the initiative could underwrite as many as 2,400 meals for the hungry.

“From our commercials to our streaming radio station, radiovw.com, Volkswagen has a history of providing high-profile forums for largely unknown artists,” said Korte. “Force of Good is all about helping those who are struggling or in need of a helping hand. We’re happy to lend that hand in as many ways as possible.”

The VW Music Bar will be located at the Volkswagen booth in the South Concourse of the Javits Center during the New York International Auto Show April 12-23.

Visit www.vw.com or www.vwpodcast.com for more information.

Founded in 1981, Citymeals-on-Wheels is a not-for-profit organization that raises private funds to prepare and deliver weekend, holiday and emergency meals to elderly shut-ins throughout New York City. Over the course of the year, Citymeals will provide 2.2 million meals to nearly 17,000 seniors in New York City. One hundred-percent of all private donations made to Citymeals goes toward hand-delivered meals for homebound seniors. For more information, visit www.citymeals.org.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Golf, New Beetle, Jetta, Passat, Touareg and Phaeton through more than 600 independent U.S. dealers.