Less than one week remains to vote for your favorite hometown heroes in the 6th Annual Volvo for life Awards. The winner will receive a new Volvo car every three years for life. Watch a video, below, featuring one the inspiring heroes of the past (pictured here, Dr. Ingida Asfaw of Detroit).
When the poll closes Jan. 7, 2008, the top three vote getters in the categories of Safety, Quality of Life, Environment — and the Butterfly Award, Volvo’s youth category — will be in the hands of celebrities including Sen. Bill Bradley, Hank Aaron and Dr. Sally Ride who will choose and name the winners. The winner, “America’s Greatest Hometown Hero,” will be named in March.
Volvo Cars of North America has led this national initiative since 2002, honoring and rewarding local heroes. This year, Volvo doubled the charitable donation amount given to the top three winners. One top hero in each of the categories of Safety, Quality of Life and Environment will receive $100,000 for their charities; two runners-up in each category will receive $25,000. Each winner will be recognized at the annual Volvo for life Awards Ceremony in New York City, March 19, 2008.
A fourth Volvo for life Awards category is up for grabs this year – but only America’s kids are eligible for it. Volvo is elevating its annual Butterfly Award to its own youth hero category – with a $25,000 prize for the winner and $10,000 to two runners-up.
When the voting period ends Jan. 7, 2008, a panel of judges including Hank Aaron, Bill Bradley, Dr. Sally Ride, Maya Lin, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Mae Jemison and Edsel Ford, will select one winner from the three finalists in each of the four categories.
Visit https://www.youtube.com/user/VolvoVFLA to view your favorite American hero finalists.
Watch this moving and inspiring Volvo video about the Detroit heart surgeon, Dr. Ingida Asfaw, who organizes doctors to travel to Ethiopia and donate surgeries. Asfaw was featured on Good News Network as a Volvo award winner in April of 2006.