Mitsubishi Motors and Burton Snowboards Kick Off Snowboarding Program for Inner-City Chicago Youth

    CYPRESS, Calif., Jan. 30 Mitsubishi Motor Sales of
America, Inc. (MMSA) and Burton Snowboards' Chill Foundation (Chill) launch
the "Chill Chicago" program this week to teach the life lessons involved in
learning snowboarding to 170 inner-city Chicago youth.  Mitsubishi Motors'
support enables Chill instructors to teach snowboarding to the 10 to 16-year
olds, who are participating from 15 area youth organizations, at Raging
Buffalo Snowboard Park in Algonquin, Illinois.
    Chicago Chill follows the successful snowboarding program Mitsubishi
Motors supported last year in Los Angeles and will support again this year.
MMSA employees in Chicago will serve as volunteers and additional role models
during Chill's seven-week program at Raging Buffalo Park.  In addition, six
specially prepared 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport "ChillMobiles" serve as
support vehicles at the Chill program in Chicago, Los Angeles, and other Chill
sites in Seattle, Boston, New York and Vermont.
    "We are proud to expand our partnership with Burton Snowboards and launch
Chill Chicago," said Gael O'Brien, MMSA vice president, corporate
communications.  "In learning how to snowboard, teens learn about their own
endurance and how to meet challenges and develop a sense of accomplishment and
pride in their own abilities.  Chill offers value to inner-city youth that
extends long beyond the life of the program and embodies the spirit of
Mitsubishi Motors and our employees."
    Chill was founded in 1995 by Burton Snowboards as a way of "giving back"
and sharing the sport of snowboarding with kids in the company's hometown of
Burlington, Vermont.  Snowboards, boots, bindings, technical outerwear,
transportation, lift tickets and instruction are all furnished as part of the
program; the only things the kids need to bring are energy, enthusiasm and
determination.

    The Chill Chicago program will serve children from the following youth
organizations and schools:

     -- Chicago Youth Programs        -- O'Toole Elementary School
     -- Gateway Foundation            -- Robert Taylor Boys and Girls Clubs
     -- Harvey Academic Prep Center   -- Scott Nolan Center
     -- Inner City Impact             -- The Youth Campus
     -- Irving Park Middle School     -- Thurgood Marshall Middle School
     -- Jewish Children's Bureau      -- Uhlich Children's Home
     -- Maryville Academy             -- YMCA Street Intervention Program
     -- North Area Youth for Christ

    "Launching a Chill program in new cities such as Chicago has been a goal
of ours since we began the program," adds Jenn Davis, director of Burton
Snowboards' Chill Foundation.  "We are extremely psyched that our continuing
partnership with Mitsubishi Motors is going to make it happen."

    Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc. was established in 1982 by
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Tokyo, and markets a full line of vehicles,
including coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles.  The
website address is http://www.mitsubishicars.com.