PLANO, Texas, Oct. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Good food, live
music, new friends—all the ingredients for a rollicking
neighborhood block party. That's what's happening today in
Plano.
Toyota has pulled out all the stops to thank the community,
civic leaders, business partners and nearby corporations for the
warm welcome to The Lone Star State.
"We are thrilled to be here in Plano and look forward to a fantastic day of
celebration with our new neighbors," said Toyota Motor North
America CEO Jim Lentz. "This is just
the start of what I know will be a long-lasting friendship."
The "Hello Texas" celebration promises to be one of the area's
most exciting and family-friendly occasions in 2014. Eighteen
diverse community restaurants will provide for a sumptuous culinary
experience, and residents will rock the day and night away with
live concerts from some of Texas'
most recognizable music superstars.
The day kicked off with Toyota executives addressing 400 VIP
guests at the Dallas/Plano
Marriott at Legacy Town Center, where they thanked everyone who has
played an integral role in helping Toyota deepen its roots in
Texas and establish its new North
American headquarters. They also announced two donations to the
city of Plano.
Mr. Lentz and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin announced
a $1 million contribution to the
Plano ISD Academy High School. The education facility places an
emphasis on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics
(STEAM).
"Toyota is committed to being a model neighbor and corporate
citizen," said Lentz. "We are pleased to join other local
businesses in supporting the STEAM curriculum and helping open the
eyes of students to career opportunities in these fields. We look
forward to furthering the school's mission to inspire tomorrow's
leaders through problem solving, team building, mentoring and
student immersion into the business world."
Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Plano Mayor Harry
LaRosiliere were on hand for today's ceremony. The two
officials have played a significant role in Toyota's decision to
choose Texas for its North
American headquarters. As an expression of gratitude, Toyota also
announced the donation of six Texas-built Tundra pickup trucks to the
City.
"We are thankful for Toyota's generosity and truly appreciate
the unexpected donation," said LaRosiliere. "We will put these
Tundras to great use immediately and are proud that they are built
at Toyota's manufacturing facility in San
Antonio by the more than 6,000 hardworking Texas men and women employed there."
The donations reflect Toyota's ongoing commitment to
philanthropy and community engagement in Texas. Investments made to date include
$4.4 billion in the state's economy
and $15 million in nonprofit
contributions.
The free "Hello Texas" Block Party runs from 12-8 p.m. at Bishop Park at Legacy Town Center.
Musical guests include Elaine
Garcia, Curtis Grimes,
Bobby Pulido, Lone Star Attitude and
Jack Ingram. In addition, celebrity
"meet and greets" will take place throughout the day, including
former FC Dallas players Ugo
Ihemelu and current star George
John, NASCAR driver Darrell Wallace
Jr., Bassmaster Elite Pro Tournament Angler Kelly Jordon and
Olympic Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin.
For more information about the Hello Texas Block Party, please
visit www.HelloTexasEvent.com.
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 our Toyota, Lexus and
Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 25
million cars and trucks in North
America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants and
directly employ more than 40,000 people. Our 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.
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SOURCE Toyota