Vote for New Mexico's Greatest Hometown Heroes

National Vote Underway for All-Time Greatest Heroes - Five per State - in 5th Anniversary Volvo for life Awards

Vote for Top Heroes at www.volvoforlifeawards.com; $1 Million in Financial Contributions Provided; Winner Receives Volvo Car for Life

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 24 -- Five extraordinary, everyday heroes from New Mexico have been named semi-finalists in the 5th Annual Volvo for life Awards. Volvo is calling on the citizens of New Mexico and people coast-to-coast to visit www.volvoforlifeawards.com now through Feb. 4, 2007 to view the 250 semi-finalist stories -- five per state -- and vote for the individual they feel is "America's Greatest Hometown Hero." The overall grand winner will receive a $50,000 charitable contribution and a new Volvo every three years for the rest of his or her life.

Who in New Mexico would you give a Volvo to? Representing New Mexico in this year's Volvo for life Awards are:

  *  Marcie Davis, of Santa Fe, created the advocacy group, Violence Against
     Individuals with Disabilities, which exists within and draws upon the
     expertise of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
     Davis has independently raised the funds necessary to train law
     enforcement officers, prosecutors, investigators, victim advocates and
     disability advocates on identifying, investigating and prosecuting
     crimes against individuals with disabilities.

  *  Helen Fox, of Albuquerque, developed and launched a program within a
     local elementary school to keep twenty homeless children in the same
     school for an entire year.  Homeless families move frequently, so early
     every morning, Fox informs her drivers where they can find the
     disadvantaged children to bring them to school.  To help reinforce a
     sense consistency and stability in the lives of these children, Fox
     also organized a four-week summer program through which the kids
     receive nourishment and nurture throughout the day.

  *  Trey Hammond, a tireless advocate for the disadvantaged is working
     towards the opening of a comprehensive, 110-bed facility in Albuquerque
     for the homeless.  His efforts also include organizing a church feast
     for 2,000 disadvantaged people.

  *  Kelvin Scarborough works to empower Jicarilla Apache Indian youth
     living on the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation and the community of
     Dulce.  Scarborough has implemented and developed a youth organization
     centered upon sports and fitness programs on the reservation.  The
     initiative has a strong alcohol and drug awareness program, educating,
     empowering and emancipating new generations by seeking to reduce and
     eventually eliminate alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.

  *  Kim Treiber, of Taos, devotes her time to addressing the social
     inequities found in a rural, economically depressed area of the
     country.  She co-created the DreamTree Project, a non-profit
     transitional living program for homeless youth in New Mexico.  The
     home-like facility provides the supportive, safe environment in which
     disadvantaged youth can develop the independence and self-assurance to
     eventually find their place in the larger society.

Now through Feb. 4, individuals will be able to view these and other hero stories and vote for their top heroes at www.volvoforlifeawards.com. For one week only, Aug. 28- Sept. 3, the five New Mexico heroes' stories will be featured on the front page of the www.volvoforlifeawards.com Web site, joining five heroes from Wisconsin. Each week during the voting period, heroes from two states will be featured heroes on the front of the Web site, though individuals can view and vote on their state or any other state's hero stories within the site at any time.

Once the public vote concludes, the top three vote getters in the categories of safety, quality of life and environment will be named finalists. Then, a panel of distinguished judges -- including Hank Aaron, Sen. Bill Bradley, Caroline Kennedy, Maya Lin, Paul Newman, Dr. Sally Ride, Val Kilmer, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and previous Volvo for life Awards top winners -- will select winners in each category. Winners receive a $50,000 charitable contribution from Volvo; remaining finalists receive a $25,000 contribution.

On April 4, 2007, Volvo will fly the winning heroes to New York, where Volvo and members of the celebrity-judging panel will honor them at the 5th Annual Volvo for life Awards Ceremony. At the climax of the ceremony, Volvo will reveal which of the three top heroes is also the Grand Award winner of a Volvo vehicle every three years for the rest of his or her life.

"Over the past five years the Volvo for life Awards initiative has received more than 15,000 hero nominations," said Anne Belec, president and chief executive officer of Volvo Cars of North America. "All of these heroes demonstrate incredible conscience, care and character. We felt the proper way to mark the fifth year of the Volvo for life Awards would be to highlight the top five heroes from every state in America. Having the public help us select the winning heroes is a truly exciting -- and democratic -- addition to this year's program. We look forward to discovering just who 'America's greatest hometown hero' will be."

To learn more, or to vote for your favorite hero, visit www.volvoforlifeawards.com. A Spanish version of the site can also be accessed at this address.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For photos and more information on the Volvo for life Awards visit www.volvocars-pr.com