America Selects Syracuse Resident John Dau as One of the Nation's Top Hometown Heroes

Founder of nonprofit organization that improves health care and literacy programs in southern Sudan, Dau, Reaches Finals of 6th Annual Volvo for life Awards

Celebrity Judges Will Select and Unveil Top Four Winners March 19 at Volvo for life Awards Ceremony in New York; One Hero Will Receive a Volvo Car for Life

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 heroes in the 6th Annual Volvo for life Awards (http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/). The polls are officially closed and Syracuse's John Dau is among nine finalists for this prestigious award.

The final decision now rests in the hands of a distinguished panel of celebrity judges who are experts on care, conscience and character -- Hank Aaron, Sen. Bill Bradley, Maya Lin, Dr. Sally Ride, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Mae Jemison and Edsel Ford. The judges will now review Dau and eight other finalists' nominations to select the program's top three winners in the categories of Safety, Quality of Life and Environment and the Volvo for life Awards grand award winner.

Dau, who established a nonprofit organization and raised more than $700,000 to bring healthcare and literacy to southern Sudan, is one of three finalists being honored in the Volvo for life Awards quality of life category. Dau is guaranteed to receive $25,000 in charitable contributions from Volvo and if he's named the winner in his category, his award will be $100,000. If named grand award winner, he will receive the added bonus of a Volvo car for life.

If Dau is selected as a category winner, Volvo will bring him and his fellow winners 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.

More About John Dau

John Dau, 35, was forced to flee his Sudan village and spend 16 years on the run avoiding air and ground attacks. Dau reached the United States in 2001 and his encounter with American culture was captured in an award-winning documentary, "God Grew Tired of Us." One of the storied "Lost Boys of Sudan," Dau endured unimaginable hardship leading groups of displaced young men that he had encountered in the bush toward safety. In 2001, Dau emigrated from a refugee camp in northern Kenya to the United States. Since coming to the U.S., Dau has completed an associate's degree at Syracuse University and written a book about his experiences. He has also established a nonprofit organization and raised more than $700,000 to bring healthcare and literacy to southern Sudan. Dau successfully opened one medical clinic in Sudan and now hopes to build and operate six additional clinics with integrated schoolrooms.

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. Additionally, the Butterfly Award is given to an exceptional child hero. 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. The award is in honor of Alexandra 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 select the winner from three finalists.

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

  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:
  --  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.

  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.
  --  Rocco Fiorentino, 11 of Voorhees, N.J., has been blind since birth and
      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.
  --  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.