TORRANCE, Calif., June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wyland
Foundation and Toyota today announced that Laguna Beach, Calif. resident Nika Shalala is the grand prize winner of the
National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation, an online
competition created by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota to
encourage residents in all 50 states to conserve water, save energy
and reduce pollution during Earth Month. As the grand prize
winner, Shalala will receive a brand new Toyota Prius c
Hybrid.
Shalala became eligible for the grand prize drawing after
Laguna Beach was named among the
12 winning cities for the 2012 National Mayor's Challenge.
Nearly 20,000 people from 1,000 cities in all 50 states made online
pledges at www.mywaterpledge.com in the second annual National
Mayor's Challenge to save a total of 4.7 billion gallons of water
over the next year, with a potential cost savings of $11.6 million. Residents further pledged to
reduce their use of single-use plastic water bottles by 1.1 million
bottles and eliminate 60,000 pounds of hazardous waste from
entering watersheds. The Challenge ran from March 30 to April 30 to honor the 40th
anniversary of the Clean Water Act, and 50 mayors signed on with
"official" signed declarations in cities that included Atlanta, San
Francisco, Houston,
Tucson, Honolulu, Miami
Beach, Torrance, Calif. and
Denver.
"We congratulate Nika for being this year's grand prize winner,"
said artist and environmentalist Wyland, who spearheaded the
initiative. "To have participants from more than 1,000 cities,
especially in every state, is outstanding and a testament to how
simple, everyday actions can promote environmental change."
In addition to the Grand Prize of a Toyota Prius c
Hybrid, participants in the winning cities were eligible for prizes
that included custom-designed sprinkler systems from Rain Bird,
Eco-Flow Showerheads from WaterPik, water-saving toilets from
STERLING Plumbing, and 1,000 gift cards for Lowe's Home Improvement
Stores. More than $50,000 in
prizes was awarded.
"Toyota commends all Challenge participants, including the
mayors who showed great enthusiasm for rallying their residents to
make an environmental impact," said Michael
Rouse, vice president of diversity, philanthropy and
community affairs for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. "The
Challenge was a great example of people working together to support
and enact environmental change, and we look forward to continuing
this significant program with the Wyland Foundation."
Organizations also involved in spearheading the Challenge
included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water,
U.S. Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, WaterPik, Rain Bird, Lowe's, STERLING Plumbing,
PADI and Project AWARE.
Toyota's support of the Wyland Foundation is part of the
automobile company's long-standing commitment to sustainability.
Toyota engages the public through a variety of environmental
initiatives as part of the company's commitment to impactful
environmental stewardship. To learn more about how Toyota supports
sustainability, please visit www.toyota.com/about/environment.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently
operates 10 manufacturing plants. Toyota directly employs
over 30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued
at more than $18 billion, including
sales and manufacturing operations, research and development,
financial services and design.
Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the
communities where it does business and believes in supporting
programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports
numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education,
the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed over
half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs in the
U.S.
For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving
communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/philanthropy.
About the Wyland Foundation
Founded in 1993 by environmental artist Wyland (best known
for his series of 100 monumental marine life murals), the Wyland
Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, is actively engaged in
teaching millions of students around the county about our ocean,
rivers, lakes streams, and wetlands. The foundation's latest
project, FOCUS (Forests, Oceans, Climate – and us) brings together
the U.S. Forest Service, NOAA, and numerous non-profits to teach
young people about the future of our water supplies, climate, and
global health. www.wylandfoundation.org
Media
Contact:
Kirsten
Clausen
GolinHarris for
Toyota
(213)
438-8726
kclausen@golinharris.com
SOURCE Toyota