Europe
2011-11-04
Zurich. Yesterday, Chevrolet marked its 100-year anniversary in a magical style with a host of special guests at a celebratory event in Rome, Italy. Master of Ceremonies, Italian actress and Bond girl, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, was the first to wish Chevrolet 'Happy Birthday' and welcome the children from SOS Children's Village Rome.
100 birthday gifts given
Having announced at the start of 2011 that it would not be receiving birthday gifts but instead partnering with SOS Children's Villages and donating 100 cars, Chevrolet proudly handed over the final two vehicles, a Chevrolet Cruze and a Chevrolet Orlando, to SOS Children's Village Rome.
The initiative has increased the mobility of the children and their SOS parents as well as the ability of the social workers who run the SOS Family Strengthening Programs to visit disadvantaged families in the communities.
"The compact Cruze and the seven-seat Orlando, will be highly appreciated for many different initiatives at our village," said Paolo Contini, Director of SOS Children's Village Rome.
"The SOS mothers need to be mobile as they manage the same challenges of running a large household as other parents do. It is not always easy to use public transportation so mobility is absolutely crucial for us to be able to support our children," Contini explained.
"SOS Children's Villages have been helping children in need for almost as long as we have been selling cars. We are going to continue our partnership with SOS Children's Villages into 2012 and beyond. It's a fantastic organization," said Wayne Brannon, President and Managing Director of Chevrolet Europe.
Top magic and music acts entertain
Entertaining the crowd and adding to the festivities were two well-known acts: internationally renowned illusionist, Andrew Basso, and Italian music sensation, Marco Carta.
After being recognized as an up-and-coming talent by magical greats Lance Burton, Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger at the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas in 2004, Andrew dedicated himself to the art of escapology, becoming the youngest ever winner of Escape Champion title at the World Escapology Convention in Los Angeles in 2005.
His talents led to him starring in his own television show from 2007 to 2009, 'Fuori! Born to Escape'. Named by Wired Magazine as the 'New Houdini', Andrew travels the world exciting the crowds – and sometimes making famous actresses appear out of nowhere!
Marco Carta is one of Italy's biggest music stars of today. His debut album, 'Ti Rincontrero', sold over 40,000 copies in its first week and since then the singer has gone from strength to strength. His most recent album, Il Cuore Muove, went gold and was awarded a Wind Music Award.
About Chevrolet
Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of about 4 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet cars combine passion, bold design and practicality. They provide outstanding value for money. After re-launching the brand in Europe in 2005, Chevrolet more than doubled its sales to over 500,000 in 2008. In 2010, Chevrolet grew its market share in Europe to 2.5 percent, selling 477,194 cars. Chevrolet has a network of more than 2,700 dealers and service points in Europe. The Chevrolet line-up includes the Spark city car, the small Aveo, the compact four-door Cruze, the Captiva SUV and the legendary Corvette sports car. In 2011, Chevrolet is launching seven new cars: the all-new Orlando family van, the new Captiva SUV, the Corvette Grand Sport Coupé, the all-new five-door and four-door Aveo, the five-door Cruze, the Camaro coupé and convertible and the award-winning extended-range Volt electric car. Chevrolet's biggest markets in Europe are Russia, Italy, Germany, Spain, France and Turkey. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand is celebrating its centenary in 2011. More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevroleteurope.com or media.chevroleteurope.com.
About SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental, social development organisation that provides family-based care for children in 133 countries and territories and that advocates the concerns, rights and needs of children. Approximately 73,000 children and young people live in 518 SOS Children's Villages and 392 SOS Youth Facilities around the world. More than 140,000 children and young people attend SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, SOS Kindergartens and SOS Vocational Training Centres. Moreover, the SOS Family Strengthening Programmes provide families with material, psychological and social support. Approximately 430,000 people benefit from these family support services; some 455,000 people make use of the SOS Medical Centres. In times of crisis and disaster, SOS Children's Villages helps through emergency relief programmes. More information on SOS Children's Villages can be found at www.sos-childrensvillages.org.
SOS Children's Villages and Chevrolet
In 2011, Chevrolet started a partnership with SOS Children's Villages and has donated 100 cars to the charity organization to celebrate the brand's centenary. This film shows some of the partnership's 2011 highlights.
On November 3, the day of its 100th anniversary, Chevrolet handed over in Rome the final one of 100 Chevrolet cars the brand is donating to SOS Children's Villages in its centenary year.
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