America Selects Voorhees Resident Rocco Fiorentino as One of the Nation's Top Hometown Youth Heroes

Blind Education Activist, Fiorentino, Who Works to Provide Resources for Individuals Facing Blindness-Related Issues Reaches Finals of 6th Annual Volvo for life Awards

Judges Will Select and Honor the Winner at March 19 Volvo for life Awards Ceremony in New York

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 18 -- For the past nine weeks hundreds of thousands of members of the American public have been casting their votes online to decide the country's favorite hometown youth heroes in the 6th Annual Volvo for life Awards (http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/). The polls are officially closed and Voorhees' Rocco Fiorentino, 11, is among three finalists for the prestigious Alexandra Scott Butterfly Award.

The Butterfly Award is given to an exceptional child hero and is in honor of Alex Scott, a Volvo for life Awards winner from Wynnewood, Pa. who, before passing away at age 8 from cancer, raised more than $1 million for pediatric cancer research through lemonade sales and other fundraising activities. Alex's parents, Liz and Jay Scott, select the winner.

Fiorentino, blind from birth, works with the Little Rock Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by his family to provide resources for children, parents, therapists, and educators who are facing issues related to blindness. He is guaranteed to receive $10,000 in charitable contributions from Volvo and if he's named the winner, his award will be $25,000.

If Fiorentino is selected as the winner, Volvo will bring him to New York to be honored at the world famous 42nd St. Cipriani's during the Volvo for life Awards ceremony on March 19, 2008. The program's grand award winner will also be announced that evening.

"I am very honored and proud to be selected for this wonderful award," Fiorentino said. "I was so impressed with all the incredible kids who were semifinalists, and I'm grateful to be selected as one of the finalists."

More About Rocco Fiorentino

Blind due to premature birth, Fiorentino has successfully lobbied legislators in New Jersey to provide $1.2 million in funding for Braille education and services for children who are blind or visually impaired in public schools throughout the state. Fiorentino is an accomplished pianist, jazz composer and vocalist and is also a leader and volunteers at the Little Rock Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by his family. The foundation provides vital resources for children, parents, therapists, and educators who are facing issues related to blindness. In addition to a variety of reading materials, the foundation also has two dedicated resource centers in Philadelphia -- one at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and another at the Wills Eye Hospital of Philadelphia. The Little Rock Foundation has a scholarship program, an annual summer camp and holds regular community outreach events. Fiorentino's advocacy in a variety of public forums has helped raise the profile of the foundation and allowed more families to benefit from its many resources. To date, the Foundation has raised $1.5 million and reached 40,000 children and hopes to open more resource centers in hospitals and to encourage families to start their own local chapters of the Foundation throughout the country.

About the Butterfly Award

Children who are no older than 16 as of October 15, 2007 are eligible to receive this award, which includes a $25,000 donation to a charity selected by the winning child hero and his or her family. The remaining Butterfly finalists each receive a $10,000 contribution.

About the Volvo for life Awards

Since 2002, Volvo Cars of North America has identified more than 18,000 everyday heroes in its annual Volvo for life Awards (http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/) and has contributed millions of dollars to their causes. Three individuals are recognized annually in the award program's Safety, Quality of Life, Environment categories. Each winner in these categories receives a $100,000 contribution to the charity of his or her choice. The program's grand winner receives an added bonus of a Volvo car for life. The remaining six Safety, Quality of Life and Environment finalists receive donations of $25,000 to the charities of their choice.

  The other finalists in the 6th Annual Volvo for life Awards are:

   Butterfly Award:
   --   Zach Bonner, 10 of Valrico, Fla., founded the Little Red Wagon
        Foundation, Inc., an organization that collects and donates
        backpacks filled with food and school items to disadvantaged
        children nationwide.
   --   Dallas Jessup, 16 of Vancouver, Wash., wrote and produced "Just Yell
        Fire," a film for women of all ages illustrating simple self-defense
        strategies to defend against an attack, kidnapping or sexual
        assault.

   Safety:
   --   Marilyn Adams, 57 of Earlham, Iowa, founded Farm Safety 4 Just Kids
        and set out on a mission to promote safe farm environments across
        the country and eliminate farm-related child health hazards,
        injuries and fatalities.
   --   Ronald Dundon, 58 of Kalamazoo, Mich., founded the AED (Automatic
        External Defibrillator) Fund of Kalamazoo County to help increase
        the chances of survival for future sudden cardiac arrest victims in
        underserved communities.
   --   Through his program "Driver's Edge," Las Vegas-native Jeff Payne,
        40, teaches thousands of youth how to avoid vehicle accidents and
        drive safely.

   Quality of Life:
   --   John Dau, 35 of Syracuse, N.Y., has raised $700,000 to improve
        healthcare and literacy in southern Sudan.
   --   Matthew Sanford, 42 of Orono, Minn., founded Mind Body Solutions, a
        nonprofit organization dedicated to revolutionizing the
        rehabilitation process.
   --   Darius Weems, 18 of Athens, Ga., works to raise money and awareness
        for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) research through "Darius Goes
        West," a documentary that chronicles his courageous journey across
        America.

   Environment:
   --   Lorraine Kerwood, 47 of Eugene, Ore., created an electronics
        recycling and distribution center, NextStep, which brings
        refurbished computers to disadvantaged communities.
   --   Zander Srodes, 17 of Cape Haze, Fla., has educated more than 5,000
        students about sea turtle conservation through a series of
        educational presentations called "Turtle Talks" which he developed
        along with a children's activity book on the subject.
   --   Charles Turner, 48 of Sedley, Va., founded the Blackwater-Nottoway
        Riverkeeper Program, which mobilizes individuals to patrol rivers
        looking for signs of pollution and educate others about the
        importance of clean, wild waterways.