By Daily Press staff
In what is expected to become part of the nation’s largest one-time fund-raiser for local charities, Volvo of Santa Monica this weekend will conduct a fund drive for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
Volvo of Santa Monica is participating in “Volvo Drive for life Days,” a weekend-long effort by more than 300 Volvo retailers in cities nationwide to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities. Volvo of Santa Monica will be raffling off Volvo memorabilia for people who wish to take a test-drive. Also, the local middle school marching band will be on-site to add to the festivities.
Volvo of Santa Monica is one of the many Volvo retailers in the greater Los Angeles area to raise funds for the Blood Donor Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. The Blood Donor Center collects blood from family and community donors to support the transfusion needs of their patients.
Volvo of Santa Monica is calling on people to visit its facility this weekend and test-drive any 2005 model Volvo car. For each test-drive taken, Volvo of Santa Monica will donate $10 to Childrens Hospital Blood Donor Center.
“Since Southern California is always experiencing a blood shortage, the donor center is in need of expanding our services to go out to businesses and organizations in our community to collect blood instead of requiring the donors to come to the hospital,” said Jacqueline Tagliere, laboratory manager at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “We know if we could go to the donors we would not have a blood shortage and patients’ transfusion therapy would not be compromised. In order to accomplish this goal, we need a vehicle referred to as a Bloodmobile.”
In addition to its local fund-raiser, Volvo of Santa Monica will be joining Volvo retailers nationwide in holding “Alex’s Lemonade Stands” in honor of Alexandra Scott, a young cancer patient from Philadelphia who gained national attention for her efforts to raise money for pediatric cancer by holding annual lemonade stands. Scott passed away on Aug. 1 at age 8, three-fourths of her way toward her goal of raising $1 million to fight cancer.
Volvo of Santa Monica will be hosting lemonade stands at its facility to achieve Volvo’s pledge to help the Scott family reach Alex’s $1 million goal. In 2003, Scott was named one of the nation’s top 10 heroes in the Volvo for life Awards, reportedly the nation’s largest annual search for and celebration of everyday heroes.
Volvo of Santa Monica is located at 1719 Santa Monica Blvd. For more information, call (310) 264-4943, or visit www.volvoofsantamonica.net. The fund-raiser will be held from Oct. 9–11.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 4, 2004. Read the original PDF.