Toyota of Louisville

The Healing Place and The Zoo Win Facebook Voting Contest

Published On: December 28, 2011

When Toyota decided they would give away 100 vehicles in 100 days, they relied on the Facebook community to determine which nonprofits would receive a new car. After receiving thousands of applications from nonprofit organizations around the county, an independent committee selected 500 finalists based upon their need and their plans to put a new car to good use for their community. Then, each day for 100 days, Toyota posted the profiles of 5 nonprofit candidates. Whichever candidate received the most votes from the Facebook community won a new car!

On Day 23 of the contest, The Healing Place of Louisville received the most votes among the five contenders, which included Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research (Tampa, FL); Mississippi Food Network; Latin American Youth Center (DC area); Mission Neighborhood Centers (San Francisco).

On Day 73, The Louisville Zoo Foundation received the most votes among the five contenders, which included Citymeals-on-Wheels (New York); Black Hills Workshop (South Dakota); SAMMinistries (San Antonio); Three Square (Nevada).

Toyota Motor Sales regional manager Mike Rebich, President and C.E.O. of the Sam Swope Auto Group Richard S. “Dick” Swope, and Toyota of Louisville General Manager Dennis Fante presented President and C.E.O. of The Healing Place Jay Davidson with a new Sienna and Director of the Louisville Zoo John Walczak with a new Highlander.

The Healing Place is a homeless shelter with a recovery program for alcoholics and addicts with a 65% success rate. The Healing Place comes to the aid of more than 600 men and women in Louisville each day with food, clothing, shelter, and addiction recovery programs, all at no cost to the clients. Their program—named a “model that works” by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—is being replicated across the country. In their application, The Healing Place said, “Our mission is simple - Reach the homeless, offer Recovery for the addicted, and Restore productive lives. A new vehicle will create more opportunities for us to meet and expand our mission.” Their new Toyota Sienna is now being used to pick up much needed donated food from the Dare to Care Food Bank and to drive clients to job interviews, job sites, community and neighborhood activities and to social service programs.

The Louisville Zoo Foundation’s mission is to “better the bond between people and our planet.” They do so by reaching out to the young people in Kentucky with their “The Zoo to You Program,” which brings animals into underserved classrooms across the state. Their new Toyota Highlander is being used to deliver this “living” environment to Kentucky classrooms.

Since 1957, when Toyota began doing business in the U.S., the company has donated over half a billion dollars to nonprofit organizations all across the country. In 2011 they launched the Toyota Dealer Match program. With this program, Toyota matches the philanthropic contributions of our dealers up to $10,000 per year per dealer.