Toyota in the News – June 2011
St. Augustine Toyota is proud to bring you the latest news about Toyota. This is what is happening with Toyota this month:
100% Toyota Production Resumes by September – Forecast Moved Up
North American vehicle production levels are expected to return to 100 percent in September, Toyota said today. Production is recovering earlier than originally anticipated following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
On average, current production has improved to more than 80 percent through August. Eight of the company’s 12 North American-built models returned to 100 percent production on June 6.
“After September we will focus on making-up lost production as much as possible,” said Steve St. Angelo, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America. “Our team members and suppliers here and in Japan have worked tirelessly to get us back to 100 percent, overcoming many challenges. The effort in Japan has been incredible, especially in the midst of such tragedy and devastation.”
Bob Carter, group vice president and Toyota Division general manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., said, “The rapid production recovery proves once again that Toyota’s manufacturing team members in North America and around the world are the best in the business.” Carter added, “Thanks to their efforts, our dealers have a healthy supply of cars and trucks available to sell, with more arriving every day, along with competitive lease and APR programs for our customers.”
If you have any questions about vehicle, parts and accessory availability, contact St. Augustine Toyota. We have access or have the inventory on our lot.
First 50 Winners of Cars for Good Announced – Have You Entered?
We are halfway through Cars for Good – have you voted for your favorite charity for a chance to win a Toyota? Toyota announced the first 25 winners of the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program earlier this month and today we are 50. This special program awards 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 deserving non-profits. Winners of the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program are determined based on voting from the public. Each day, five organizations are profiled on Toyota’s Facebook page where the public is invited to show their support by voting to determine the winning nonprofit organization.
Each daily winner will be awarded a new Toyota vehicle to help the organizations continue to do “good” in their local communities. The remaining finalists will each receive a $1000 grant from Toyota.
The first 25 winners spanned several categories including animal welfare & wildlife, arts & culture, education, health & safety, and human services. From promoting the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of adolescents to alleviating the suffering of abandoned, abused and injured animals, a variety of worthy causes were shared on the finalists’ profiles and ultimately selected by the public to receive a new vehicle to further support their missions.
The first 25 winners in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program are:
• Indiana SADD; Terre Haute, Ind.; May 9, 2011
• Owensboro Area Shelter & Information Services; Owensboro, Ky.; May 10, 2011
• North Mecklenburg Animal Services; Old Fort, N.C.; May 11, 2011
• Lighthouse; Lincoln, Neb.; May 12, 2011
• St. Louis Area Foodbank; Bridgeton, Mo.; May 13, 2011
• Farmworker Association of Florida; Apopka, Fla.; May 14, 2011
• Ohio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Grove City, Ohio; May 15, 2011
• Project Avary; Novato, Calif.; May 16, 2011
• Freedom Bound Center; Sacramento, Calif.; May 17, 2011
• Mission St. Louis; St. Louis, Mo.; May 18, 2011
• City Gospel Mission; Cincinatti, Ohio; May 19, 2011
• Alaska Christian College; Soldotna, AK; May 20, 2011
• PAWS: Placing Animals Within Society; Bryson City, N.C.; May 21, 2011
• Disabled Sports USA Far West; Citrus Heights, Calif.; May 22, 2011
• Cindys Hope Chest; Indian Trail, N.C.; May 23, 2011
• The Gentle Barn; Santa Clarita, Calif.; May 24, 2011
• New Hampshire Food Bank; Manchester, N.H.; May 25, 2011
• Children’s Specialized Hospital; Mountainside, N.J.; May 26, 2011
• House of Bread and Peace; Evansville, Ind.; May 27, 2011
• Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center; Morristown, N.J.; May 28, 2011
• Camp Casey, Royal Oak, Mich.; May 29, 2011
• Housing for All; Hyannis, Mass.; May 30, 2011
• The Healing Place; Louisville, Ky.; May 31, 2011
• Comfort Zone Camp; Richmond, Va.; June 1, 2011
• Laura Recovery Center for Missing Children; Friendswood, Texas; June 2,2011
Public voting for the 100 Cars for Good program opened May 9 and will continue through August 16. Voters may place one vote per day, each day, over the course of the program. Each day, the previous day’s winner will be announced and five new nonprofit organizations will be featured for voting. Winning organizations can choose from the following vehicles: Prius, Tacoma, Tundra, Highlander Hybrid, Sienna or Sienna Mobility. With each vehicle, Toyota Financial Services will provide a six-year, 100,000 mile Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement to provide extended protection beyond the vehicle warranty.
The 500 finalists, from which the 100 winners are ultimately selected, were chosen by an independent panel of judges who are experts in the fields of philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. There are several Central and North Florida nonprofits: Atlantic Center for the Arts, My Angel with Paws, Marion County Children’s Alliance and more. Go to http://apps.facebook.com/carsforgood/ to check out the nominees and vote.
Toyota College Grad Essay Contest – What Would You Do with an Extra $1000?
Pay off your credit card? Support your favorite charity? Take your grandparents skydiving? Toyota Financial Services (“TFS”) wants to know what recent college grads would do with an extra $1,000 cash in their pocket. To find out, TFS announced the launch of its on-line college essay contest in which eligible participants are asked to write an essay (of 100 words or less) describing how they might use the money.
From June 16, 2011 through July 13, 2011, eligible participants are invited to submit their essays at http://toyotagradcontest.com. The public is invited to vote on their favorite essays until August 11, 2011, after which the top ten vote-getters will have their essays judged by an independent panel. Of the ten finalists, five will be chosen by an independent panel of judges to win a $1,000 each. Limit one (1) Contest Entry per person, per e-mail address, and per household.
To encourage public voting, registered voters will be eligible to win one of 200 “Instant Win” $20 gift cards redeemable at Amazon.com. After the final voting has ended, all registered voters will be put into a random sweepstakes drawing for one prize of $1,000.
“What recent college grad couldn’t use an extra $1,000?” said Kerry Rivera, Marketing & Advertising Manager at TFS. “We thought this contest would be a fun way to gather ideas – practical, philanthropic, adventurous, or outrageous – and help make a few of them come true!”
The College Grad Essay Contest follows the announcement that TFS is extending its College Grad Rebate program through January 3, 2012. The program offers recent college grads (and those about to graduate) $1,000 towards the purchase or lease of select new Toyota vehicles including the Corolla, Matrix, RAV4, Camry (excludes Camry hybrid), Tacoma, and Yaris, plus all new Scion models, when financed or leased through a participating Toyota dealer and TFS.
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Toyota Financial Services College Grad Promotion - Essay and Phase I Public Voting Phase during which Contestants may enter an Essay and during which the first round of public voting will occur starts on 6/16/11 at 12:00:00 A.M. ET and ends on 7/13/11 at 11:59:59 P.M. ET. Phase II Public Voting and Instant Win Game during which the Instant Win Game will take place starts on 7/15/11 at 12:00:00 A.M. ET and ends at 8/11/11 at 11:59:59 P.M. ET. Click on Official Rules for details on entry instructions, prize details, deadlines, restrictions, etc. Contest, Sweepstakes and Instant Win Game subject to complete Official Rules. Contest is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and who are at least 18 years of age (for all states except 19 in AL and NE and 21 in MS) or older as of time of entry who meet the “college grad” criteria set forth in the Official Rules.
Sweepstakes and Instant Win Game is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and who are at least 18 years of age (for all states except 19 in AL and NE and 21 in MS) or older as of time of entry. Void in Puerto Rico, the United States Territories and Possessions, and where restricted or prohibited. Toyota Financial Services, 19001 South Western Ave., Torrance, CA 90501.
Get your grads entered, vote for your favorite charity and call us for any information on your vehicle, parts and accessory availability – June 2011 Toyota News brought to you by St. Augustine Toyota.
St. Augustine Toyota has been serving the automotive needs of St. John’s county, Jacksonville, Palm Coast and Ponte Vedra residents since 1976. Our business has grown from being just a car dealer on US 1 to an important conduit of commerce; a generous contributor to the local community, creating jobs and supporting local businesses through the county. In 2005, we watched our building make the transformation from a tired, worn out facility to a brand new, state of the art sales, service and parts center.