Events: Volvo For Life Awards

Corporate Conscious

Tested: 3/1/2007 to 3/1/2007

Volvo For Life

When given a choice of products to purchase, when all things seem otherwise equal, how do you choose? Corporate giving and community relations are one way I break the tie (that, and on a more superficial level, a really cool logo or tagline). If my tie was between a Volvo and something else, well, something else doesn’t stand a chance against the Volvo For Life Awards. The Volvo For Life Awards are Volvo’s way of giving back. Read on, my friend, for some pretty great reasons to love what Volvo is doing in our communities.

The Volvo For Life Awards are given to nominees (AKA Regular People Doing Astounding Things With Their Time and Energy) who best exemplify heroism in one of three categories: Safety, Quality of Life, and Environment. Examples are:

• Kendall Phills of Charlotte, N.C., lost her former NBA star husband in a nationally publicized street-racing accident in 2000. Phills is now a powerful advocate for safe driving and with her initiative, “Be Safe-Drive Smart,” she takes her husband’s wrecked car on tour to educate North Carolina teens about dangerous driving habits.

• Laura Moore of Lilburn, Ga., founded the Dream House, a transitional foster home to provide loving care for medically fragile children, while recruiting and training foster parents to take care of them.

• Eli Kahn, a 15-year-old cancer survivor from Baltimore, Md., established a program that asks businesses, non-profits, individuals and educational organizations to recycle used ink jet and laser printer cartridges. All recycling proceeds go to pediatric oncology research at Johns Hopkins.

The folks above (and many others like them) are nominated by other people (AKA Regular People Not Doing Quite as Astounding Things With Our Time and Energy) via www.volvoforlifeawards.com. This is great because those of us engaged in less, uh, selfless tasks can still get a nano-injection of good karma by nominating people who create noble causes.

Volvo celebrated its inaugural Volvo For Life Awards five years ago, and the nominees this year are actually a combination of all nominees from the last five years. Public vote determines the finalists, and a noted judging panel chooses the winners. The panel includes celebrities (who are also Regular People Doing Astounding Things With Their Time and Energy) like Paul Newman, and well-known athletes, artists, politicians and philanthropists. Examples include Hank Aaron, Maya Lin, Senator Bill Bradley, and Caroline Kennedy. In addition, previous VFLA winners sit on the judging panel.

According to Soren Johansson, the VFLA’s rose out of a need to fulfill good corporate citizenship for Volvo. Volvo wanted to engage in a cause that was their own, where they could see an impact. Ultimately, they wanted to fulfill and substantiate their super-impact-ful (and clever) “For Life” motto. The VFLA’s are the perfect manifestation.

Johansson says the VFLA’s are the best thing he’s ever done professionally. When I look at the nominees for these awards, I hardly have to ask why. “These nominees have made me a better person. They are…so inspiring. I see so much joy and happiness in the winners; it’s wonderful to be able to bring attention to their causes and charities.”

Just in case there’s a special kiddo out there doing fabulous work on behalf of others, Volvo also recognizes children who exemplify heroism. The Butterfly Award is presented to a child who helps make the world a better place. It is given in honor of Alexandra Scott, a girl who raised money for pediatric cancer research. Let me be clear, she raised this money WITH A LEMONADE STAND. She fought her own battle with cancer and passed away at age 8. At that time, her foundation had raised more than $700,000. That’s a heck of a lot of Dixie Cups and Country Time, folks. Volvo (in conjunction with Alexandra’s parents) select the winner of the Butterfly Award. The winner receives $25,000 for a charity selected by the child and/or their family, and Volvo gives Alex’s fund $25,000 every year that her family serves as judges. Volvo knows that kids need to know they can make an impact too.

To boot, all nominees for the awards get to go to the Volvo for Life Awards Banquet in NYC, complete with flashing cameras, celebrity guests and performers. All winners get a starring role in a Volvo Heroes documentary. This all certainly makes me want to stop being a Regular Person Not Doing Quite as Astounding Things With My Time and Energy, and focus on being more of a Regular Person Doing Astounding Things With My Time and Energy.