Volkswagen Announces $1M Donation to MLK Memorial Foundation

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HERNDON, VA--Aug. 23, 2011: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. today announced a $1 million gift to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation. The gift will support the memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. honoring Dr. King.

"This donation is a concrete memorial to Volkswagen Group's long standing commitment to the principles of diversity and inclusion," said Jonathan Browning, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. "We see it as a way to thank our customers and employees across this great country that represent every creed and color."

"It is so fitting that Volkswagen Group is part of this historical commemoration of our nation's greatest civil rights leader," said Harry E. Johnson, Senior, President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation.  "With their headquarters in the greater Washington area, it is clear that Volkswagen Group is putting down roots and giving back to the community."

Located on the Tidal Basin, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial creates a visual line of leadership between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. The memorial will be an engaging landscape experience conveying four fundamental and recurring themes throughout Dr. King's life -- democracy, justice, hope, and love -- and features the use of natural elements including water, stone, and trees. A 450-foot inscription wall will feature more than a dozen Dr. King quotes engraved into granite to serve as a lasting testament and reminder of Dr. King's humanitarian vision. The memorial will include the "Mountain of Despair" and the "Stone of Hope," which will feature a 30-foot sculpture of Dr. King.

"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for hope, freedom and justice.  Volkswagen is proud to be among the many groups to honor his life and his message. We are grateful to be part of this historic moment," added Browning.