For immediate release - January 27, 2010
For more information, please contact:
Terry Burns, executive director at (616) 956-9300
John M. Leese, board president at (616) 949-1140
Dianna Stampfler, Auto Show Publicist at (269) 330-4228
Grand Rapids dealers donate $5,000 to Haiti earthquake-relief
Grand Rapids, MI – This week, the Grand Rapids New Car Dealers Association (GRNCDA) donated $5,000 to the Grand Rapids-based Haiti Foundation Against Poverty to assist with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti. The donation will help the foundation direct resources to disaster relief and infrastructure repair, as well as provide funds towards the foundation’s goal to bring a mobile medical unit to the people of Haiti.
The GRNCDA is dedicated to serving and supporting its community and appreciates the opportunity to give to a local foundation working directly with the people of Haiti to provide education and care.
Association members were pleased to personally present the donation to Brooke and Marci Thurlow of the Haiti Foundation Against Poverty during their dealer meeting on January 27. When accepting the donation, Brooke commented that the contribution from the Grand Rapids auto dealers was very important and would go directly to help earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. One-hundred percent of the money donated to the foundation is used to help the people of Haiti to provide food, medical aid and educational needs.
Charitable contributions on behalf of GRNCDA are common. In the past, the organization has donated funds for relief efforts for those affected by the tsunami that hit many parts of Asia, as well as for victims of Hurricane Katrina. As part of the annual Michigan International Auto Show – produced by ShowSpan Inc., – the GRNCDA makes contributions to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Foundation. This year’s 12th annual show is coming up February 4-7 at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids (
www.GRAutoShow.com).
The GRNCDA was formed as a way for new vehicle dealers in the Grand Rapids area to communicate with each other and the community. Its membership includes dealerships throughout Metro Grand Rapids.
The Haiti Foundation Against Poverty™, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization was founded by Mallery Thurlow in 2007 to empower poor, widowed, and orphaned Haitians and to spread the message of the Gospel (
www haitifoundation.com).
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Photos Available Upon Request.