CarMax Foundation Helps Expand MADD College Program
Donation to MADD Expands UMADD Chapters at Colleges in Texas, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida, and Kentucky
RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 19 -- CarMax, Inc. , the nation's leading specialty retailer of used vehicles, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) have announced that the CarMax Foundation has granted $100,000 to MADD to advance UMADD chapters at colleges in Texas, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida, and Kentucky.
"This grant will provide much-needed resources to create and support UMADD groups on five campuses," says Wendy J. Hamilton, MADD national president. "We are excited about the opportunity to work with CarMax and the colleges to help create positive change on the campuses and their respective communities."
The goals of a UMADD chapter are to engage students in prevention strategies against underage drinking and impaired driving, limit youth access to alcohol, increase enforcement of underage drinking and impaired driving laws on campus and in the surrounding communities, and to work with campus leaders to establish clear and effective policies designed to minimize alcohol problems.
The five schools selected are the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla.; North Harris College in Houston, Texas; Towson University in Baltimore, Md.; East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn.; and Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky. Each campus selected will receive money to assist in starting or maintaining UMADD chapters. Funds will be directed toward recruiting and training student leaders, conducting projects on campus, and working with the surrounding community to ensure that underage students do not have access to alcohol.
"Sharing the message with students about safe driving habits seems like a natural way for CarMax to support efforts to improve family safety in autos," says Joe Kunkel, president of the CarMax Foundation.
About UMADD
A UMADD chapter is a campus-based student organization comprised of student leaders concerned about underage, high-risk drinking and impaired driving and is dedicated to finding solutions. The chapter also addresses the problems in a holistic manner by involving both the campus and community.
UMADD chapters are based on a two-part philosophy. First, student leaders work to identify the problems on their individual campus and in their community policy as they relate to underage and high-risk drinking. Secondly, students work to heighten public awareness and advocate for change on college drinking issues through activities such as campus/community coalitions, social norming campaigns that focus on the many students who are not drinking, and partnering with campus and community enforcement officials and retail outlets.
About the CarMax Foundation
The CarMax Foundation's National Funding Program assists nonprofit organizations that are either national or community-based and either address and improve auto safety for families and children or build a competitive workforce through technical training.
CarMax, a Fortune 500 company, is the nation's leading specialty retailer of used cars. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., CarMax currently operates 55 used car superstores in 26 markets. CarMax also operates 12 new car franchises, all of which are integrated or co-located with its used car superstores. During the twelve month period ended May 31, 2004, the company sold 228,407 used vehicles, which is 91 percent of the total 250,009 vehicles the company sold during that period. For more information, access the company's Web site at http://www.carmax.com/.
