"Lexus believes that children have the potential, and the desire, to make the world a better place. To encourage them to pursue their dreams, Lexus will support organizations that build, shape and improve children's lives."
The Lexus Pursuit of Potential is a passionate pledge to better the world and, more specifically, children's lives. Our philanthropy is more than just a financial donation. By partnering with charities that share our philosophy and commitment, we will make a better tomorrow. In conjunction with our generous dealers, we will contribute up to $3 million through the Pursuit of Potential.
A program called "Dealer Matching Funds" was launched in January 2007 and has provided tremendous support for the Pursuit of Potential. Together, we have generated millions of dollars for children's charities in the dealers' communities.
Lexus also supports a host of charities that cover a wide range of initiatives. The Lexus Eco Challenge, Champions for Charity golf events, the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors and Keys to Innovation are just a few. Each of these charities has its own unique approach in improving the lives it touches. In conjunction with our dealers, Lexus is proud to support the Pursuit of Potential and partner with these dedicated charities.
Lexus is a proud sponsor of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors. It is a group of more than 400 community leaders who have committed their vision, leadership and support to the advancement of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, its medical programs, leading-edge research and community outreach. By partnering with the Board of Governors, Lexus is able to help support and equip world-class scientists to explore the vital frontiers of medical research. Breakthroughs into new diagnostic methods and treatments are the goal in battling diseases like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's.
The annual Board of Governors Galas are star-studded evenings. To add to the exciting evening, Lexus donates an LS 600h L hybrid luxury sedan that is part of a drawing that helps raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
The Board of Governors has benefited from tremendous support in its community. In just four years, it raised close to $15 million for Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center.
Currently, the funds raised benefit the Board of Governors Heart Stem Cell Center, which focuses on new ways to use stem cells to regenerate the ailing heart. By using advanced cell-based treatments such as those involving the patient's own stem cells, the Center will strive to provide innovative alternatives to traditional drugs, heart transplantation and implanted devices.
Together with Cedars-Sinai, we are moving closer to improving the quality of life for all patients.
The Lexus Eco Challenge was developed to educate students about the environment and inspire them to create a better world. In conjunction with Scholastic, Lexus designed this national competition to challenge middle and high school students to create and implement environmental programs in their communities.
Detailed program and registration information for the Lexus Eco Challenge is available at
www.scholastic.com/lexus. This year students will be competing for $500,000 in grants and scholarships.
Last year, more than 5,000 students nationwide participated in the program. The students took on a wide range of ecological issues from reducing emissions to water pollution. Their approaches demonstrated a meaningful contribution to their education and their communities.
The Final Challenge required teams to reach beyond the local community and inspire environmental action around the world through innovative ideas that were communicated to a wide audience.
This year's winners emerged from the 775 registered teams representing 5,100 middle and high school students nationwide. The 16 winners were selected from 48 teams that qualified for this Final Challenge by winning in one or more of the three previous Challenges that were held from September to February. The earlier phases of the contest, which asked teams to address the topics of land, water, and air/climate, challenged teams to make a difference for the environment in their local communities. The Final Challenge required teams to reach beyond the local community and inspire environmental action around the world. The 14 first place winning teams are:
- - CA (Roseville) – "Croc Hunter Crew" – Woodcreek High School
- - CO (Loveland) – "Walt Clark Middle School Cougars” – Walk Clark Middle School
- - FL (Newberry) – "P.R.I.D.E." – Newberry High School
- - IA (Charles City) – "Smarticles" – Charles City Middle School
- - ME (Falmouth) – "Emission Commission" – Falmouth High School
- - MO (St. Louis) – "Team LEAF" – Ladue Horton Watkins High School
- - MT (Great Falls) – "River Runners" – Holy Spirit Catholic School
- - NV (Las Vegas) – "EnviroMENTALists" – Bishop Gorman High School
- - NJ (Manahawkin) – "S.O.A.K." All Saints Catholic School
- - NJ (Pennington) – "Composting Comrades" – Hopewell Valley Central High School
- - NY (Albany) – "Gators Going Green" – St. Teresa of Avila School
- - OH (Cincinnati) – "Riders of the Storm" – Mariemont High School
- - TX (Galveston) – "Super Soil Power Planters" – Ball High/Ball Preparatory Academy
- - WI (Mukwonago) – "St. James Mukwonago" – St. James Mukwonago Middle School
In addition to the contest portion of the Lexus Eco Challenge, the program also provides standards-based supplementary educational materials so teachers can integrate creative lesson plans into their classrooms to teach students about the environment. The materials, developed with Scholastic, are designed to align with national teaching standards for science, social studies, civics and language arts. For each of the challenges, lesson plans and teacher instructions—including questions to help guide a discussion about the challenge topic, facts about the topic and guidelines for a specific classroom project—are available.
The Lexus Eco Challenge is part of The Lexus Pursuit of Potential, a philanthropic initiative that generates up to $3 million in donations each year for organizations that help build, shape and improve children's lives.
To support and honor inner-city schools across the country that have successfully implemented innovative environmental programs in their schools and communities, Lexus has partnered with award-winning artist Alicia Keys to promote "Keys to Innovation."
The Keys to Innovation initiative was part of Alicia Keys' "As I Am" tour sponsored by Lexus. Together, Lexus and Alicia rewarded 10 schools across the country with $2,000 donations to support their existing environmental programs. As a bonus for their hard work and dedication, students received complimentary VIP tickets and an exclusive opportunity to attend Alicia's pre-concert sound check. Following the concert, it was back to business. The schools competed against each other by submitting a detailed "Keys to Innovation" action plan that detailed their individual environmental program's goals and initiatives. The plans were judged on a variety of criteria including the overall plan, presentation and ability to execute it within budget. The winning school was Los Angeles Thomas Jefferson High School which received $10,000 to create a native "green" space on campus for the students and faculty to utilize as an interactive educational tool. It will serve as a welcome addition to an area currently dominated by concrete, meat-packing plants and factories.
Lexus believes that programs like these are a unique way to recognize and reward people who are making a difference in their school and community. Through the power of music and education, Keys to Innovation champions students' passion for improving the environment and helps carry it forward to future generations.
The Lexus Champions for Charity is a series of golf tournaments hosted by Lexus dealerships in their communities to help support local charities. Lexus has been committed to this program since it was established in 1989.
These tournaments give local golfers the opportunity to compete and raise money for their charity. They also have the opportunity to bid at the charity's auction for a place in the National Championship event at the historic Pebble Beach Golf Links®
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On a nationwide basis, Lexus Champions for Charity has generated more than $135 million for charities through more than 3,000 events. Last year, 30,000 golfers participated in 183 Lexus Champions for Charity tournaments across the country. The growing support and continuous success of this program is a true testament to our dealers and their communities' commitment to enriching others' lives. Lexus is honored to be a part of these events and the communities that support them. Together, we will make a difference.
| Notable Charities: |
| Boys and Girls Club of America |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation |
| National Multiple Sclerosis Society |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities |
| Leukemia and Lymphoma Society |
| American Diabetes Association |
| March of Dimes |
| Children's Miracle Network |
| American Cancer Society |
| YMCA |
