Tom Joyner Foundation Receives $200,000 Contribution From General Motors
FOR RELEASE: November 8, 2002Tom Joyner Foundation Receives $200,000 Contribution From General Motors
DETROIT - In its on-going commitment to develop and support programs that empower the African-American community nationwide, General Motors (GM) and its Pontiac-GMC division will contribute $200,000 to the Tom Joyner Foundation to benefit students attending historically black colleges and universities. The donation, which is the single largest contribution given to the Foundation in 2002, was presented during the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show (TJMS) and its traveling Sky Show on Friday, November 8, in Atlanta, GA.
Much of the donation is directly related to the GMC Fall Sales Event, in which a portion of the sales of each GMC Envoy XL sold during September and October was pledged to the Tom Joyner Foundation. The GM Foundation supplied additional funding.
"This contribution is coming from the GMC Truck Division of General Motors and is a direct result of the hard work and effort put behind this initiative by the employees of GMC Division and our GMC dealers," said Rontè Smith, regional sales manager of GM's Southeast Region.
"General Motors is pleased to partner with The Tom Joyner Foundation in providing African-American students with the opportunity to realize their dreams through furthering their education," Smith added. " Tom Joyner is a powerful voice in the African American community and his Foundation fits well with our on-going corporate objectives to identify ways in which to enhance, encourage and enable achievement and social and economic empowerment for the entire community."
The Tom Joyner Morning Sky Show, which reaches more than five million listeners on weekday mornings, is the largest, free African-American entertainment series in the United States. The event draws thousands of participants who come out as early as 5:00a.m. to enjoy special live musical performances by major "old and new school" R&B recording artists as part of the TJMS broadcast.
In addition to this monetary contribution, GM has been a supporter and partner with the Tom Joyner Morning Show with its voter registration campaigns across the country, through its Pontiac-GMC brands.
"GM and its family of brands has been very supportive of the national community outreach efforts of the Tom Joyner Morning Show and the Tom Joyner Foundation," said Joyner. "We are always pleased to partner with companies like GM who understand that helping us to meet some of our community objectives can only enhance their businesses in the long term," he said. "This contribution from GM will go a long way in providing some much needed scholarship assistance in the African-American student community."
One hundred percent of the contributions provided to The Tom Joyner Foundation goes directly to students as financial gifts. Scholarship recipients are selected by a historically black college or university based on financial need or academic record.
The Tom Joyner Morning Show is ABC Radio Network's number one, nationally syndicated urban radio program that reaches more than five million listeners weekday mornings in 99 markets. Joyner was the first African-American to be elected into the Radio Hall of Fame.
General Motors , the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide, and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
