Vote for Chicago's Open Books to win a new Toyota
Chicago-based Open Books announced today that it has been selected as one of 500 nonprofit finalists in Toyota's 100 Cars for Good program, a major philanthropic initiative in which the automaker is giving 100 cars to 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days. Open Books was selected as a finalist from more than 4,000 applications nationwide.
Each day, beginning May 14, 2012, 100 Cars for Good will profile five finalists at www.100carsforgood.com. Individual members of the public will be able to vote for which ever nonprofit they think can do the most good with a new vehicle. The nonprofit with the most votes at the end of each day will win one of six Toyota models. Runners-up will each receive a $1,000 cash grant from Toyota.
Open Books will be up for consideration on Sunday, May 27th, 2012.
“Everyone at Open Books is thrilled to have been selected as a finalist for the 2012 100 Cars for Good program,” said Stacy Ratner, founder of Open Books. “We're grateful for this incredible opportunity to showcase our mission to improve literacy throughout the city and hopefully win a car to help us increase our impact on Chicago Public School students. We hope everyone will help us spread the word now and, of course, will make time to visit www.100carsforgood.com on Sunday, May 27th to vote for us. A new vehicle would really be a game changer for our literacy programs.”
“At Toyota, we appreciate what a significant impact a new car can have for nonprofits nationwide,” noted Michael Rouse, vice president of philanthropy for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. “Toyota has donated more than half a billion dollars to nonprofits across the U.S. over the past 20 years, and 100 Cars for Good allows us to expand that commitment to local communities in important new ways. The 500 finalists are an extraordinary group, and we look forward to the public learning more about them.”
100 Cars for Good is the first initiative to directly engage the public to determine how Toyota's philanthropic donations are awarded.
For more information on Open Books and its efforts to win one of Toyota's 100 Cars for Good, please visit Open Book's website at www.open-books.org. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter at @OpenBooks. For complete information on 100 Cars for Good and profiles of all 500 finalists, please visit www.100carsforgood.com.
Local residents are encouraged to support Open Books and their quest for a new Toyota car. If Open Books receives the most votes and is awarded the vehicle, it will be used to improve literacy throughout Chicago.
A six-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty will also be provided for each vehicle, compliments of Toyota Financial Services.
About Open Books
Open Books is an award-winning nonprofit social venture that operates an extraordinary bookstore, provides community programs, and mobilizes passionate volunteers to promote literacy in Chicago and beyond. Dedicated to enriching lives through reading, writing, and the UNLIMITED power of used books, the organization works with thousands of high-need, low-income students each year through its literacy programs, which range from 1 on 1 weekly reading sessions with elementary school students and creative nonfiction workshops for 4th through 12th graders to mentoring for high school juniors and an immersive reading, writing, and publishing experience for teens. Support for Open Books' programs comes in part from its award-winning store, which holds more than 50,000 donated books and has been hailed as "the most beautiful bookstore in Chicago."
General Information: www.open-books.org.
Store Information: www.open-books.org/store
Book Donation Information: www.open-books.org/donate/donate_books.php
Twitter: @openbooks
@openbookstore