News Releases

Mazda Foundation Supports After-School All-Stars Chicago Student-led Project to Reduce Distracted Driving

CHICAGO (April 16, 2015) – After-School All-Stars (ASAS) announced today that the Mazda Foundation (USA), Inc. is supporting student-led service projects that bring greater awareness to the dangers of distracted driving. In partnership with the Mazda Foundation and Project Yellow Light, ASAS Chicago Youth Advisory Board Member Brandon Greenwood and his peers are preparing a distracted driving intervention center at the afternoon rally and celebration for Chicago Youth Service Day. Chicago Youth Service Day is one of the nation’s largest-scale service in peace initiatives founded on the premise that service can help heal some of the damage that violence had brought to communities throughout Chicago. The rally will include fun and engaging activities for youth and families, service awards, and live entertainment. International performing hip hop artist FM Supreme will emcee, and two-time WWE Tag Team Champion and hometown hero David Otunga will lead a social media call to action for peace in Chicago. About 2,000 Chicago Public School students and community members are expected to attend. Greenwood and his peers will be decked out in crash site dummy and caution-tape costumes and joined by Danny Bender, Mazda Motorsports driver and 2014 SCCA Kimberly Cup winner, who will help the students distribute safe driving information, share safe driving tips, take photos and sign autographs. The All-Stars’ efforts at the rally will bring greater attention to the dangers of distracted driving and share information about how to keep communities safe.

When: Saturday April 25 from 1:00pm- 3:00pm

Where: Grant Park, located at 337 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601 *Event will be located at the East Jackson Drive and South Columbus Drive intersection

What: The rally will promote service to the community and peace in Chicago, with a special effort to reduce distracted driving. The rally is free and open to the public

“We are excited to be a part of Chicago Youth Service Day and especially thrilled at how Brandon has created a grassroots movement to bring greater awareness to the issue of distracted driving, a serious community concern,” said Tamara Mlynarczyk, Manager, Public Affairs, Mazda North American Operations. “The Mazda Foundation is proud to support young civic leaders like Brandon.”

Saturday’s event is just one of nine student-led community service events organized by After-School All-Stars Youth Advisory Board Members aimed at reducing distracted driving taking place across the country as part of Global Youth Service Day (GYSD). Chicago Youth Service Day is the local celebration of GYSD, established in 1988 to celebrate and mobilize the millions of young people who improve their communities through service. GYSD is the largest service event in the world and the only one dedicated to the contributions that children and youth make 365 days of the year. ASAS’ Youth Advisory Board Members’ distracted driving events also mark the culmination of a year of service learning which began in July 2014 at a student leadership and advocacy training summit in Washington D.C. made possible by the Mazda Foundation (USA), the exclusive sponsor of ASAS’ Life Service Action (LSA) national initiative. LSA was developed to enhance student achievement, help students develop as leaders, and inspire participants to engage in their communities, through student-led, curriculum-driven service learning projects.

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About Mazda Foundation (USA), Inc.

Acting on a strong sense of responsibility to give something back to the communities in which it operates, Mazda established a philanthropic foundation. As the corporate foundation of Mazda North American Operations, it has awarded over $8 million to worthwhile causes across the United States since its initial grants in 1992. To learn more about the Mazda Foundation, please visit www.mazdafoundation.org.

About After-School All-Stars

Founded in 1992, After-School All-Stars (ASAS) is a leading national provider of year-round, school-based, comprehensive afterschool programs. The organization’s mission is to keep children safe and help them succeed in school and in life. Every school day, students in low-income communities have access to free programs that offer academic support, enrichment opportunities, and health and fitness activities. Nearly 90,000 children from 15 U.S. regions benefit: ASAS serves Atlanta, Chicago, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, North Texas, Ohio, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, South Florida and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.as-as.org.