40 Olympic Hopefuls Across the Nation Receive Chevrolet

FOR RELEASE: September 12, 2001

U.S. Olympic Team Hopeful In Salt Lake City-Area Receives Vehicle To Help Support Olympic Dream

40 Hopefuls Across the Nation Receive Chevrolet Vehicles

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -Annie Driscoll, Park City, Utah, native and U.S. Olympic Team hopeful in speed skating, received today a new Chevrolet Malibu from Jerry Seiner Chevrolet as part of a unique vehicle donation program that supports aspiring athletes by providing them with vehicles to help them achieve their Olympic dreams.

Driscoll is one of 40 hopefuls across the country receiving vehicles from Chevrolet The Team Behind The Team, a program designed to help relieve some of the burdens that Olympic training can put on an athlete and his or her family.

Selected athletes are being put behind the wheel of one of four new Chevrolet vehicles they can depend on to meet their daily transportation needs: a Tahoe, Silverado, Venture or Malibu. Vehicle assignments are based on athlete training and transportation needs.

"Chevrolet and its 4,300 dealerships, including Jerry Seiner Chevrolet, are proud to support aspiring U.S. Olympic athletes," said Jerry Seiner, Jerry Seiner Chevrolet. "The Team Behind The Team helps ease the burden many athletes and their families face in pursuit of their Olympic dreams, namely by providing athletes with the reliable and high quality transportation they need to compete and train."

Having a vehicle is essential in helping Driscoll improve her chances of achieving his Olympic dream. Driscoll, a 24-year-old speed skater, travels nearly 500 hundred miles per week just to train for the upcoming Games. "Being selected to receive a Chevy Malibu through this program makes me feel like someone really believes in me," said Driscoll.

An Advisory Panel comprised of some of America's greatest U.S. Olympians selected the Chevrolet The Team Behind The Team athletes for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Representing this year's Advisory Panel are the following Olympic gold medallists: Speed skaters Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen; figure skaters Peggy Fleming and Kristi Yamaguchi; skier Phil Mahre and track and field athlete Evelyn Ashford.

U.S. Olympic Team hopefuls who were considered for one of the 40 Chevrolet vehicles submitted a detailed application consisting of financial information, competitive history and placements, and a short essay describing why they should be selected. Selection was based on financial need, training and competition requirements and qualification as a U.S. Olympic Team hopeful. Rankings were then tabulated to determine the recipients of the vehicles.

JK Group, Inc., an independent company that manages corporate philanthropic programs, was enlisted by Chevrolet to administer The Team Behind The Team selection process. Spearheading the development of the overall process, JK Group worked with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and National Governing Bodies of Sport to identify prospective U.S. Olympic Team hopefuls who would be eligible for the program.

Chevrolet, which is General Motors' lead division for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games, has a long history of supporting the spirit of the Olympic Games through partnerships with many National Governing Bodies of Sport, including the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association, U.S. Figure Skating Association and USA Hockey. These partnerships, along with The Team Behind The Team program and Chevrolet's role as a presenting sponsor of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Torch Relay, elevate Chevrolet's commitment to providing transportation solutions for the Olympic Games.

The Team Behind The Team program was first established in 1999 when it donated vehicles to 100 U.S. Olympic hopefuls who aspired to make the team for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Chevrolet is the largest division of General Motors, which is the official domestic automotive sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team through 2004. Headquartered in Detroit, Chevrolet fulfills the transportation needs of more than 36 million Americans daily -- more than any other manufacturer -- and offers the broadest lineup of cars, trucks and vans in the industry.