Kia Canada announced the recipient of its first annual Drive Change Day contest awarding $25,000 to a nominated charity. KidSafe was chosen for their work as a non-profit organization which cares for Vancouver’s most vulnerable children and youth during school break times providing a welcome haven for them to receive a full day’s nutrition, recreation and education.
The campaign kicked off August 21 when Canadians were encouraged to give back to their communities on this particular day. They were also invited to visit the Drive Change hub at www.DriveChangeWithKia.com to register their participation in a Drive Change Day event, pledge their acts of kindness as well as nominate a charitable organization that would get the chance to win a donation of $25,000.
“We were pleased with the overwhelming response and submissions from Canadians” said Maria Soklis, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Kia Canada Inc. “The heightened level of community outreach was especially compelling in the case of KidSafe, and that is what distinguished them from other nominees.”
“Kia is about driving change and making the world a better place,” said Gerhard Maynard, Executive Director at KidSafe. “In this spirit, we are honoured to have been selected as recipient of a contribution which will be helping create a brighter future for the children in our care.”
KidSafe was launched in 1993 by inner-city school principals, concerned citizens and the Vancouver Sun newspaper in response to a brutal tragedy that left an eight year-old child severely beaten, then abandoned in a vacant east side apartment. The community was outraged by the tragedy, then galvanized into action: They were united in their vision to provide vulnerable children and youth with a safe place to go when school is out. KidSafe began by keeping two schools open, in Vancouver’s poorest neighbourhoods, for at-risk children during winter break.
Conceived in 2010, the company says Drive Change was developed to share Kia Canada’s commitment to social responsibility and communities across the country. Kia is committed to Drive Change and will continue its annual celebration in the spirit of giving back to communities across Canada.
