Johnson Controls and Make-A-Wish Foundation Team Up to Grant Wishes
5 April 2000
Johnson Controls and Make-A-Wish Foundation Team Up to Grant Wishes
Automotive interior supplier provides special
day at the races for three Make-a-Wish families
PLYMOUTH, Mich., April 4 "Gentlemen, start your engines!"
Those words are ingrained in the minds of race fans and drivers across the
globe. During this year's BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Racing Series, automotive
interior supplier Johnson Controls will provide three lucky
children the opportunity to announce those famous words, starting each of the
Johnson Controls 100 races.
For the second consecutive year, Johnson Controls will partner with the
Make-A-Wish Foundation during the Johnson Controls Triple Challenge, a
three-race series during the BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am racing season. Three
children, sponsored by Johnson Controls through the Make-A-Wish Foundation,
will be asked to announce those four magic words -- "Gentlemen start your
engines" -- to officially begin the day's race.
"The race doesn't start until the child says it does," said Rande Somma,
president of marketing and development for Johnson Controls. "There's nothing
like the smile on a young person's face when more than 20 high-performance
race engines roar to life. I'm glad that our company can make an impact on
these kids through our association with Make-A Wish."
Johnson Controls provides a hands-on experience for each Make-A-Wish child
and his or her family at each of the Triple Challenge races. The family is
given the "VIP" treatment, including weekend passes, pit access and grandstand
tickets. The family also gets an opportunity to attend driver autograph
sessions and a one-on-one tour of the Team HomeLink racing paddock by two-time
BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series champion Paul Gentilozzi.
The Johnson Controls Triple Challenge races with the honorary Make-A-Wish
starter will take place on April 16 at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach; on
June 17 at the Tenneco Automotive Detroit Grand Prix; and on October 29 at the
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Grand Prix.
Somma added, "This is the third year Johnson Controls is participating in
the Make-A-Wish program. We have used our involvement with the BFGoodrich
Tires Trans-Am Series to make a difference in the lives of young people. We
encourage other businesses who have the opportunity to get involved in
worthwhile programs like Make-A-Wish to do so."
Founded in 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona, the Make-A-Wish Foundation is the
largest wish-granting organization in the world. It has 80 chapters in the
United States and its territories, and 20 international affiliates on five
continents. Make-A-Wish has granted more than 66,000 wishes to children with
life-threatening illnesses in the United States alone. The wishes are granted
through the generosity of private donors and more than 18,000 volunteers.
The Plymouth, Michigan-based automotive business of Johnson Controls --
which employs more than 65,000 people at 275 facilities worldwide -- achieved
US$12.1 billion in sales for the 1999 fiscal year. In model-year 2000, it will
supply interior products for more than 23 million vehicles.
Johnson Controls, Inc. is a global market leader in automotive systems and
facility management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major
supplier of seating and interior systems, and batteries. For non-residential
facilities, Johnson Controls provides building control systems and services,
energy management and integrated facility management. Johnson Controls
, founded in 1885, has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its
sales for 1999 totaled US$16.1 billion.
CONTACT: David Roznowski of Johnson Controls, Inc., 734-254-5632.
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/473547.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 473547.
Web site: http://www.johnsoncontrols.com