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Local Resident Wins New Toyota in Special Olympics Raffle

9 November 1998

Local Resident Wins New Toyota in Special Olympics Raffle

    MORGANTOWN, W.Va., Nov. 6 -- Jennifer Fisher, a graduate
student and employee of West Virginia University, is the proud owner of a new
1998 Toyota Corolla, thanks to her good luck, West Virginia Special Olympics
and Toyota.
    Fisher today drove away from University Motors in Morgantown in her
sandrift metallic four-door Corolla LE after her name was drawn from some
2,800 raffle tickets sold as a fund raising effort for West Virginia Special
Olympics.  The raffle tickets were purchased for $5 a piece.  The statewide
raffle, which began in June, was part of an overall fundraiser that included a
September golf tournament held at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane, WV,
and featured golf legend Chi Chi Rodriguez.  More than $59,000 was raised.
    "West Virginia Special Olympics and Toyota are very excited for Ms.
Fisher, and we hope she will enjoy her new Corolla.  She was one of the first
persons to purchase a ticket during our Summer Games held in Morgantown," said
Chris Burge, executive director, West Virginia Special Olympics.
    The Corolla was chosen as the raffle prize because next month Toyota will
begin manufacturing four-cylinder engines in the new Buffalo, WV, plant for
Corollas that are built in California and Canada.
    The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training
and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for all mentally
challenged children and adults.  Special Olympics produces five state-level
and more than 100 local and area competitions annually for nearly 5,000
athletes.  Through the training and these competitions, Special Olympics
athletes build confidence and learn lessons that ultimately make them better
students, employees and citizens.