TORRANCE, Calif., June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lizette Salas doesn't crack under pressure. The
recipients of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's (HSF) scholarships
will soon be thankful for that.
That's because every shot the rising LPGA star takes through the
remainder of the 2014 season could generate more than $1 million for scholarships and related services
provided by the nation's largest not-for-profit organization
supporting Hispanic American higher education.
As part of the Toyota Drive for Success program, Salas will earn
funding for HSF through each round of golf she plays. Throughout
her season, each birdie (one stroke under par for a hole) she makes
will earn $1,500 and each eagle (two
strokes under par for a hole) will earn $5,000. With one stroke—specifically a
hole-in-one made during the first round of one of her remaining
domestic tournaments—Salas could send an additional $1 million to the nonprofit organization.
For the Team Toyota athlete, the contributions are personal.
"As the first person in my immediate family to earn a college
degree, I'm proud to help promote the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and
its critical goals for Hispanic students," Salas said. "Thanks to
the generous support from Toyota, every good shot I make will put
money in the bank for more students to further their education and
pursue their passions like I've had the opportunity to do."
Salas graduated from the University of
Southern California, where she was the golf program's first
four-time All-American and twice-named the Pac-10 Player of the
Year. She entered the LPGA in 2012 and has since been ranked as
high as number 10 in the world by the Rolex Rankings. The
Southern California native joined
Team Toyota in November 2013, adding
to the diverse roster of athletes supported by Toyota Motor Sales,
USA, Inc.
By banding together, Salas is helping Toyota further its
commitment to the Latino community. For more than 25 years, Toyota
has supported HSF by donating more than $5.7
million toward scholarships and related services.
"Lizette's success story is extremely relevant to the Hispanic
community and embodies the educational and personal achievements
the Hispanic Scholarship Fund aims to support," said Fidel A. Vargas, President & CEO, Hispanic
Scholarship Fund. "Toyota's generous commitment, and the
chance to receive over $1 million
with Lizette's play, adds a new level of fun and excitement to our
long-standing partnership."
In addition to her efforts on the course, Salas will make
several public appearances, throughout the season, to raise
awareness for HSF and share her quest to reach the full pledge
available from Toyota.
"Lizette is the perfect role model to bring awareness to the
important work of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund," said Ed Laukes, Vice President, Marketing,
Performance and Guest Experience for Toyota. "With her help both on
and off the golf course, we hope to better serve the organization's
scholarships and services that support students pursing higher
education."
For more information about Toyota's commitment to the community,
visit www.toyota.com/community.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the
Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live
through its Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50
years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks in
North America, where it operates
14 manufacturing plants and directly employs more than 40,000
people. The company's 1,800 North American dealerships sold
more than 2.5 million cars and trucks in 2013 – and about 80
percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are
still on the road today.
Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the
country, with a focus on education, safety and the
environment. As part of this commitment, we share the
company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and
trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand
their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit
www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About the Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Founded in 1975, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund provides
scholarships to Latino students, as well as related support
services. HSF seeks to give students all the tools they need
to apply to college, do well in their course work, graduate, enter
a profession, excel, help lead our nation going forward, and mentor
the generations to come. As the nation's largest
not-for-profit organization supporting Hispanic American higher
education, the Fund has awarded over $430
million in scholarships and provides a range of ancillary
programs for students, HSF Scholars, and their families. HSF
further strives to make college education a top priority for every
Latino family across the nation, mobilizing our community to
proactively advance that goal – each individual, over a lifetime,
in every way he/she can. For more information about the
Hispanic Scholarship Fund please visit: HSF.net.
Media Contacts:
Micholl Azenon
GolinHarris for Toyota
213-438-8794
mazenon@golinharris.com
Alex Manriquez
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
310-579-9220
amanriquez@hsf.net
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140626/121843
SOURCE Toyota Motor Sales