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Nissan Provides U.S. Bobsled Team with New Year's Wish 'Keeps Olympic Dream Alive'

31 December 1997

Nissan Provides U.S. Bobsled Team with New Year's Wish 'Keeps Olympic Dream Alive'

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 -- Nissan North America answered the New
Year's wish of a U.S. bobsled team today by providing it with a replacement
sled for this weekend's Olympic trials in Park City, Utah.
    The Roselli team lost their sled in a tragic fire over the Christmas
holiday in West Valley City, Utah.  Since discovering the charcoaled remains
of the sled, the team has been searching for the resources to replace it for
this weekend's trials.
    "After reading about the fire, I knew Nissan North America had to get
involved.  As an American company with a Japanese heritage, the connection
between Nagano and Utah was obvious," said Tim MacCarthy, Vice President,
Government Affairs, Nissan North America.  "We wanted to make sure that this
American team was able to compete."
    The bobsled team and its crew have been training for this weekend on a
shoe-string budget and the discovery of the burned-out sled appeared to dash
any hopes of competing.  Thanks to the outpouring of support from Nissan and
the citizens of Utah, the Roselli team will be able to purchase a new sled,
which can run upwards to $30,000.
    "My teammates and I are ecstatic over Nissan's quick action.  If  Nissan
didn't step up to the plate, I don't believe we would have been competitive
this weekend," said Michael Kohn, a member of the four-man team attempting to
qualify for the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.  "I can't imagine a
better way to begin the new year," he concluded.
    "Through its Nissan Neighbors program, Nissan has a long-standing history
of supporting the communities in which it does business throughout the United
States.  Nothing is more important than to help a team of Americans reach
their Olympic dreams," said MacCarthy.
    Nissan North America employs 12,000 Americans directly and another
61,000 Americans work at Nissan and Infiniti dealerships.  Nissan has invested
over $2 billion in the United States to build facilities for design, research
and development, manufacturing, sales and related operations.  70% of the
Nissan cars and trucks sold in America are built in America.  Nissan purchases
over $4.2 billion in parts and materials from 400 U.S. suppliers.
    Additional quotes and footage from the Rosselli team can be obtained by
calling Bill Bock at (801) 658-0662.

SOURCE  Nissan North America, Inc.