Paul Newman, Hank Aaron, Caroline Kennedy and Others to Select Nation's Top Hometown Hero

NEW YORK--Jan. 5, 2004--

Eight Celebrities Will Judge Volvo for Life Awards, Nation's Largest Search for Hometown Heroes; Hero Nominations Accepted at www.volvoforlifeawards.com Through Jan. 16

Know a person doing good deeds in your community? If so, celebrities such as Paul Newman, Hank Aaron and Caroline Kennedy could select your hero as "America's Greatest Hometown Hero" in the Volvo for Life Awards, the nation's largest search for and celebration of hometown heroes. Simply nominate your hero at www.volvoforlifeawards.com by Jan. 16, 2004.

Additional Volvo for Life Awards judges include Bill Bradley, Maya Lin, Dr. Sally Ride, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and Robert Young, last year's overall Volvo for Life Award winner.

Led by Volvo Cars of North America, the second annual national public service program celebrates and rewards local heroes with $1 million in financial contributions. One hometown hero will win a Volvo car for life. The initiative calls for people to nominate a hometown hero they know who is doing the extraordinary in quality of life, environment or safety at www.volvoforlifeawards.com through Jan. 16, 2004.

In March, Volvo will select 100 semi-finalists, who 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, Aaron, Bradley, Kennedy, Lin, Newman, Ride, Kennedy Shriver and Young will name one winner for each of the three categories. Winners 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, 2004, 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.

"Each of our celebrity judges participated in last year's first Volvo for Life Awards, and we are honored to have them return," said Vic Doolan, president and chief executive officer of Volvo Cars of North America. "Our judges each have given vast amounts of energy to public service on their own. They demonstrate on a global scale the conscience, care and character we expect to find and celebrate on a local level."

To learn more about the program, to read each judge's definition of a hero, and to nominate a hero, visit www.volvoforlifeawards.com. A Spanish version of the site can be accessed at this address, as well.

Media: For photos and more information on the Volvo for Life Awards: www.volvocars-pr.com.