Mazda Gives Brand New Cars to 50 Frontline Heroes [Video]

• Mazda gave away brand new cars to 50 frontline heroes who went above and beyond to help others during the pandemic.
• The 2020 Mazda Heroes program acknowledged the selfless acts of those who embodied the company’s value of “omotenashi,” which is putting others’ needs first.
• The car company hopes that the awardees and everyone else will feel inspired to continue giving back to their community.

The 2020 Mazda Heroes program gave away brand new cars to 50 frontline workers across America for going above and beyond to help others during the pandemic.

Mazda announced the program details back in October as part of its 100th anniversary.

Fifty brand new MX-5 Miata 100th Anniversary Special Edition models will be awarded to individuals who “tirelessly dedicated themselves to their communities throughout 2020” through “selfless acts, creative thinking and contributions to community,” the company announced.

Mazda North America President Jeff Guyton declared, “This year has been full of challenges and we wanted to lean into our brand’s heritage of finding innovative ways to brighten people’s lives.”

About 1,000 individuals were nominated for embodying the company’s value of “omotenashi,” which is putting others’ needs first.

The company then selected 50 Mazda Heroes to be awarded for their selfless acts. Some partnered with local restaurants to provide free meals to healthcare workers, others launched free grocery delivery services, while one musician started curbside concerts for a senior community that had to remain indoors.

Among the heroes were three New York City residents who recently picked up their new cars at a dealership in Queens.

One winner was Triana Davis, a teacher in Byram, Mississippi. She created custom curricula and delivered them personally to her students. And when the graduation ceremonies were canceled, she created custom-engraved medals, goodie bags, and commemorative t-shirts.

Another winner, Jason Erdreich, was a shop teacher in Randoph, New Jersey. Using his access to 3-D printers, he printed 12,000 pieces of PPE to help supply medical workers.

Christie Purviance, an ICU nurse in The Woodlands, Texas, had 15-hour workdays all throughout the pandemic. But she treated all her patients like family: she left daily sticky-notes of encouragement, helped facilitate video chats with loved ones, and delivered photos from family members who couldn’t visit.

When Leandro de Araujo Pessoa of Lansing, Michigan lost his job during the March lockdown, he decided to use his extra time to lead the local church’s food pantry. He even donated a portion of his unemployment checks to jeep the food pantry stocked.

These 50 frontline heroes truly went above and beyond to help others during these difficult times without expecting anything in return. But Mazda wanted to acknowledge and reward them in the hopes that they and everyone else will feel inspired and empowered to continue giving back to their community.

Source: Good News Network