DETROIT, May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Buick, the fastest-growing major automotive brand in the United States, is set to net meals for kids in need at the 2011 NCAA® Men’s Lacrosse Championships in Baltimore this weekend. For each participant in the Buick LaCrosse Challenge at the tournament’s NCAA Fan Zone on Saturday through Monday, Buick will donate one meal to a child in need through Lacrosse the Nations, a non-profit organization founded in part by Ohio State University graduate Greg Bice, a 2003/04 All-American and 2004 Great Western Lacrosse League Player of the Year.
In addition to being the fastest-growing collegiate sport over the last five years, LaCrosse is the name of Buick’s full-size luxury sedan and its latest variant, the 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist™, which launches this summer and is expected to get an estimated 37 mpg hwy.
Bice and Lacrosse the Nations were previously featured in a 60-second video produced for the Buick Human Highlight Reel, a collection of videos that tell inspiring true stories about former NCAA student-athletes who are making a difference in communities around the globe.
“Buick’s continued partnership with the NCAA is helping groups like Lacrosse the Nations make a positive difference in communities around the world,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of Buick marketing. “By shining a light on these winning efforts, Buick hopes to inspire others to go above and beyond to help others achieve their fullest potential in life.”
The Buick Human Highlight Reel launched in March during the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The original collection of seven stories produced by Turner, CBS and the NCAA has grown to include more than 40 user-generated videos created by fans or producers in association with Zooppa, a creative social network with more than 106,000 members. This platform enables Buick to help fans celebrate athletes from all 23 NCAA Championship sports.
The filmmaking project complements the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program, which is providing up to $4.5 million a year in scholarship funds to 1,100 college-bound students nationwide who excel both in the classroom and in the community.
About Buick
Buick is a modern luxury brand offering vehicles with sculpted designs, luxurious interiors with thoughtful personal technologies, along with responsive-yet-efficient performance. Buick is attracting new customers with its portfolio of award-winning models, including the Enclave crossover, LaCrosse sedan, Regal sport sedan and highly anticipated all-new 2012 Buick Verano compact luxury sedan. Buick is the fastest growing major brand in the U.S. and remains a best-selling brand in China, with continuing record growth. Learn more about Buick cars and crossovers at www.buick.com, on Twitter @buick or at www.facebook.com/buick.
About the NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions — AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola — and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners — Buick, Enterprise, The Hartford, Infiniti, LG, Lowe’s, Planters, Reese’s, Unilever and UPS.
