CarMax Foundation Awards $100,000 Grant to National Program to Promote Child Booster Seat Safety
RICHMOND, Va., June 3 -- CarMax, Inc. , the nation's largest retailer of used cars, announced today that the CarMax Foundation has awarded the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) a $100,000 grant for its National Partnership on Booster Seat Safety program. In April 2004, the CarMax Foundation provided a $50,000 grant to the Partnership to fund the initial start up of the program. The Partnership's goal is to increase booster seat usage in the U.S.
"The grant from the CarMax Foundation will help the National Partnership on Booster Seat Safety program provide increased education, awareness and advocacy on a critical child passenger safety issue," said Judy Meehan, HMHB Director of Development. "When children outgrow their child safety seats, at around 40 pounds, they need to be restrained in a booster seat for adequate protection."
Motor vehicle crashes are the single largest killer of children ages 4 to 8 years old, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Booster seats lift youngsters a few inches and make standard seat belts fit better to maximize safety. Booster seats reduce a child's risk of injury by 59 percent. Despite evidence of effectiveness, current estimates indicate that only 10 to 20 percent of children ages 4 to 8 who should be in a booster safety seat are actually in them.
"Only eight states have booster seat laws that provide optimal protection. More than 20 states in the U.S. have no booster seat law of any kind in place to monitor older children's safety," said Meehan. "This is confusing to parents, and it means that far too many children are riding at incredible risk. This program will leverage partnerships to call for strong, enforceable laws and standardize booster seat safety messages."
"At CarMax, we have changed in a positive manner the way people buy cars," said Joe Kunkel, president of the CarMax Foundation and senior vice president of marketing and strategy for CarMax. "In the same way, the CarMax Foundation is committed to supporting nonprofit organizations that are tackling big challenges through positive new approaches."
About the National Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition
The National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) is a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization that reaches an estimated ten million health care professionals, parents and policymakers through its membership of over 200 local, state and national organizations. Enhanced by a network of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies state and local coalitions across the country, HMHB promotes change and creates partnerships among community groups, nonprofit organizations, professional associations, businesses and government agencies. By promoting optimal health for mothers and children, HMHB works to strengthen families and build communities. To learn more, go to http://www.hmhb.org/.
About the CarMax Foundation
The CarMax Foundation's National Funding Program assists nonprofit organizations that address or improve automobile safety for families and children. The Foundation is supported by CarMax. CarMax, a FORTUNE 500 company and one of the FORTUNE 2005 "100 Best Companies to Work For," is the nation's largest retailer of used cars. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., CarMax currently operates 61 used car superstores in 28 markets. CarMax also operates seven new car franchises, all of which are integrated or co-located with its used car superstores. During the twelve month period ended February 28, 2005, the company retailed 253,168 used cars, which is 92 percent of the total 273,804 vehicles the company retailed during that period. For more information, on the CarMax Foundation, go to http://www.carmax.com/inc/companyinfo/foundation.pdf.
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