TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 15, 2010 — Toyota has presented 16 scholarships as part of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation’s program to provide scholarships to the sons and daughters of Marine Corps parents who have been killed or wounded in combat or have demonstrated financial need, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., announced today.

 

Toyota has been a supporter of the Foundation since 2004 and has created an endowment of $1.65 million to provide the annual $5,000 scholarships.  The scholarships represent the 12 Toyota regional sales offices and the four Lexus area sales offices in the U.S.

 

“It is an honor to be involved with the Marine Corps Foundation and offer these scholarships,” said Don Esmond, TMS senior vice president for automotive operations and a former Marine Corps captain, naval aviator and helicopter pilot in Vietnam.  “It’s one way we can give back to these families that sacrifice so much for our country.”

 

The Marine Corps Foundation is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to U.S. military families.  Since 1962, the Foundation has provided more than 25,000 scholarships valued at more than $60 million.  For the 2010 – 2011 academic year, the Foundation will provide 1,423 scholarships totaling $4.250 million.

 

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion.  Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of nearly 1,500 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers which sold more than 1.77 million vehicles in 2009.  Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion.

 

Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen and supports numerous organizations, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $493 million to U.S. philanthropic programs.

 

For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com, www.lexus.com, www.scion.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

 

Contact:
Rhonda Glasscock/Toyota
[email protected]