Do You Know Minnesota's Greatest Hometown Hero?

Nominations for Minnesota's everyday heroes sought at www.mn-volvoforlifeawards.com

$50,000 to be Awarded to Charity in First-Ever Minnesota Volvo for Life Awards

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 15 -- Do you know a hero - someone in your community seeking to improve the quality of life, safety and/or environment of others? If you do, consider nominating your hero for the first-ever Minnesota Volvo for Life Awards - the state's largest search for and celebration of everyday heroes.

Led by the Borton Volvo in Golden Valley and Minneapolis and Kline Volvo in Maplewood, the statewide public service program will celebrate and reward Minnesota heroes with up to $50,000 in financial contributions to Minnesota charities. To nominate someone you know, visit www.mn-volvoforlifeawards.com starting today until Jan. 16, 2004.

During the nomination period, Volvo will profile select nominees on the www.mn-volvoforlifeawards.com Web site and in the media. Volvo is conducting the program in an effort to inspire Minnesotans to make outstanding contributions in their communities.

The Minnesota Volvo for Life Awards seeks ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things - such as building a neighborhood center for needy kids, developing recycling programs for their schools, or helping save the life of a perfect stranger.

Three winning heroes will be named; the top winner will receive up to $25,000 and the distinction of "Minnesota's Greatest Hometown Hero." The second and third top winners will receive up to $15,000 and $10,000, respectively. Award money will be donated to the heroes' Minnesota charities of choice. Minnesotans can help contribute money to the Minnesota Volvo for Life Awards fund by test-driving Volvos at Borton and Kline dealerships. For every test drive, the dealerships will donate $10 to the fund; Volvo expects to raise $50,000 from the test drives.

In February, celebrity judges based in Minnesota will select the top winners, who will be honored at an event in March.

Minnesota Hero Program Modeled after Successful National Program

The Minnesota Volvo for Life Awards is modeled after Volvo Cars of North America's highly successful Volvo for Life Awards public service program, which rewards more than $1 million in charitable contributions to heroes across the nation. Minnesota is the first state to conduct a local version of the national awards program; nominees for the Minnesota Volvo for Life Awards will be automatically entered in the national Volvo for Life Awards, which will culminate at an awards ceremony in Times Square on April 7, 2004.

Last year's first-ever Volvo for Life Awards generated 2,036 nominations, representing each of the 50 states. The initiative honored such diverse individuals as an advocate for domestic abuse survivors, a young girl with cancer raising money for other cancer victims, a supporter of Hmong refugee women seeking jobs and a champion for Native Americans seeking adequate housing.

In March, Volvo Cars of North America will select 100 semi-finalists in the Volvo for Life Awards. The semi-finalists will receive a framed Certificate of Merit to honor their accomplishments. From those 100 semi- finalists, Volvo will select the top three finalists in three categories: Safety, Quality of Life and Environment. From these finalists, celebrity judges, including Hank Aaron, Bill Bradley, Caroline Kennedy, Maya Lin, Paul Newman, Sally Ride and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, will name one winner for each of the three categories; they will each receive $50,000 to be donated to the charities of their choice. The remaining six finalists will each receive a $10,000 charitable donation. The three category winners will be flown to New York on April 7 to be honored at the Volvo for Life Awards Ceremony in Times Square Studios Ltd, where an overall winner will be named and presented with a Volvo car every three years for the rest of his or her life.

To learn more about the national Volvo for Life Awards program, visit www.volvoforlifeawards.com . A Spanish version of the site also can be accessed at this address.