United Way of America Recognizes DaimlerChrysler as Recipient of Summit Award

- DaimlerChrysler Honored at 2006 United Way Community Leaders Conference -

DENVER, May 18 -- United Way of America (UWA) today honored DaimlerChrysler as a Summit Award recipient of its coveted Spirit of America(R) Award program, recognizing the company's outstanding commitment to improve lives in local communities. UWA recognized DaimlerChrysler at its national United Way Community Leaders Conference in Denver, Colorado as a Summit Award recipient for Corporate Community Investment and Employee Community Investment.

The Spirit of America(R) Awards program is United Way's highest tribute for corporate community involvement. Spirit of America and Summit Award recipients are judged on detailed criteria in four categories: Employee Community Investment, Corporate Community Investment, Community Leadership and Employee Community Engagement. The Spirit of America winner excels in each of these four categories. Summit Awards are presented to companies that excel in one or more of these areas.

At the highest leadership levels at DaimlerChrysler, our senior executives are engaged in shaping communities and serve on over 300 nonprofit boards across the nation. DaimlerChrysler executives bring strategic, business acumen and relationship building skills. Not only do our leaders have technological and efficiency expertise, but strong economic and financial wisdom. In addition, employees connected to "Smashing Community Issues," as executives literally smashed watermelons labeled with homelessness, illiteracy, and cancer.

"DaimlerChrysler has done an outstanding job engaging its employees in both the mission of United Way and the need to address issues facing communities," said UWA President and CEO Brian A. Gallagher. "Together, DaimlerChrysler and United Way can focus resources on the most pressing problems in local communities to change people's lives for the better."

"DaimlerChrysler employees have a tradition of helping communities in need, boosting United Way donations last year by 13 percent to more than $12.8 million," said Tom LaSorda, DaimlerChrysler President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our thanks go out to our partners at the UWA for their contributions, and to the United Way of America for recognizing the entire DaimlerChrysler family for their efforts to help fulfill basic needs such as education, health care and food for so many."

United Way of America awarded its 19th annual Spirit of America Award -- its highest honor for a company's outstanding commitment to local communities -- to Principal Financial. In addition to the Spirit of America Award, United Way presented Summit Awards to:

  * Duke Energy -- Employee Community Engagement

  * General Mills -- Corporate Community Investment and Employee Community
    Engagement

  * Kellogg's -- Employee Community Investment

  * Kimberly-Clark -- Corporate Community Investment

  * Microsoft Corporation -- Employee Community Engagement

  * Xcel Energy -- Community Leadership

  About United Way of America

United Way of America is the national organization dedicated to leading the United Way movement in making a measurable impact in every community across America by focusing on the root causes of the most serious problems. The United Way movement includes over 1,300 community-based United Way organizations. Each is independent, separately incorporated, and governed by local volunteers. For more information about United Way of America, please visit: http://www.unitedway.org/.