Miami, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/14/2011 -- Brickell Buick GMC, a Buick dealer in Miami, is pleased to confirm Buick’s initiative to donate shoes and socks to kids in need.
There are children in the United States whose only shoes are ill-fitting or worn-out, and Buick, the NCAA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) are teaming up with Samaritan’s Feet to donate shoes and socks to kids who need new ones. They donated 2,011 pairs of shoes and socks to kids in need during the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship week in Houston, March 28-31.
This is Buick’s first involvement with Samaritan’s Feet, a charity supported by the NCAA during the Men’s Final Four week that has donated shoes to more than 3 million kids in 40 countries in the past.
On March 31, Buick executives and local dealers helped each recipient get fitted with a new pair of shoes.
“This is an outstanding effort to protect kids’ feet and promote an active lifestyle,” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president, Buick Marketing. “By working together, Buick, Samaritan’s Feet, the NCAA and the coaches of college basketball stand to make a profound difference in scores of young lives.”
Buick is working with Samaritan’s Feet to distribute an additional 150 pairs of shoes to kids in Detroit.
While having one or more pairs of shoes is taken for granted in developed nations, more than 300 million children around the world go without shoes, and nearly 1 million die each year as a result of soil-transmitted illnesses and foot-borne diseases.
In its effort to promote foot health for children, Samaritan’s Feet has a long-term goal to fit 10 million kids with 10 million pairs of shoes in 10 years.
The organization’s founder, former University of North Dakota basketball player Emmanuel “Manny” Ohonme, credits the inspiration for his non-profit organization to his own experience as an impoverished 9-year-old boy in Nigeria where a “Good Samaritan” from Wisconsin gave him his first pair of shoes.
Ohonme’s achievements will be featured in the Buick Human Highlight Reel, a collection and archive of complete stories that will appear online at http://www.ncaa.com/buick.
CBS will air a Buick-branded, 30-minute television show, which will feature select Human Highlight Reel stories, prior to the NCAA Final Four semifinal games on April 2. Selected video profiles also will air during coverage of the tournament on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.
“I’ve never forgotten how getting my first pair of shoes made a profound difference in my life. It was a symbol of hope,” Ohonme said. “It is our goal to bring that message of hope to children everywhere, and we are greatly encouraged by the support we’ve received from Buick, the NCAA and members of the NABC who have coached games barefoot to create awareness at this exciting event.”
Proudly serving all Miami Buick and GMC shoppers for over 12 years, Brickell Buick GMC is dedicated to providing customers with reliable and affordable vehicles. As one of the most successful dealers in the city, Brickell Buick has all of automotive needs covered. Providing shoppers with a leading selection of Buicks in Miami, Buick shoppers are sure to find what they’re looking for.
To learn more about Brickell Buick GMC or Buick’s involvement with Samaritan’s Feet, contact the Miami GMC dealer by calling 305-809-6059.
About Brickell Motors
Brickell Motors is located in Miami and serves Honda, Buick, & GMC customers in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Hialeah and Hollywood region with quality vehicles. Brickell Motors supplies customers with a large inventory of new and used Honda, Buick, & GMC vehicles. The Miami Auto dealership also provides a full service center, parts center and auto financing assistance.
Contact Brickell Motors:
665 Southwest 8th Street
Miami, FL 33130
305-809-6059