Chrysler Group and the Iacocca Foundation Partner to Fund Diabetes Research
05 Août 2005 - 3:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Lee Iacocca and Snoop Dogg are 'Golf Buddies' in new Chrysler Group
commercial AUBURN HILLS, Mich. and BOSTON, Aug. 5
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chrysler Group and the Iacocca Foundation
announced today that the Chrysler Group has become an official
partner of the Iacocca Foundation's ongoing initiatives to support
diabetes research. Chrysler Group and the Iacocca Foundation are in
the process of finalizing the details of the fundraising program.
As part of the partnership, Mr. Iacocca is appearing in four
advertisements for the Chrysler Group. The fourth and final
commercial, "Golf Buddies" which features Mr. Iacocca and hip-hop
icon Snoop Dogg, will begin airing on August 6. The first three
commercials, "Desk," "Channel Surfing," and "Granddaughter" are
currently airing. Research by Millward Brown, a third party ad
testing agency, shows the campaign to be very effective. Hundreds
of individuals ranging from 25 to 50+ years of age were polled to
measure the commercials. Results of the testing showed that the
commercials were at least two times as persuasive as an average
commercial and 80 percent of the individuals polled recognized Lee
Iacocca. Mr. Iacocca donated his fees for the commercial to the
Iacocca Foundation's JoinLeeNow initiative, which has raised nearly
six million dollars to date for a planned clinical trial at
Massachusetts General Hospital. The first phase of the clinical
trial program will test a potential cure for type 1 diabetes. As of
August 2005, the campaign had reached the halfway mark of its $11.5
million goal. "I promised my late wife that I would help to find a
cure for type 1 diabetes in my lifetime. I feel like we are finally
close to stopping a disease that affects more than 18 million
people in the United States, but I need help. We're halfway there
and I know with Chrysler on board, we can't lose," said Lee
Iacocca, Chairman of the Iacocca Foundation. "Chrysler Group is
honored to be the Iacocca Foundation's partner in this incredible
cause. Mr. Iacocca made a promise to his wife and we have made a
promise to him, to help him reach his goal," said Jason Vines, VP,
Public Relations, Chrysler Group. In type 1 diabetes, the immune
system attacks the islet cells of the pancreas, which are the cells
in the body that produce insulin. Dr. David Nathan and Dr. Denise
Faustman are planning to test a treatment to stop the destruction
by the immune system of the insulin- producing cells. Dr. Faustman
and other researchers have demonstrated in the lab that once the
destruction of the insulin-producing cells is reversed, the body
appears to be capable of regenerating these cells. The treatment
that will be tested in humans is based on research by Dr. Faustman
that has been almost exclusively sponsored by the Iacocca
Foundation. This research has significant implications not only to
the future of diabetes treatment, but also to other autoimmune
diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and
lupus. For more information about the Iacocca Foundation and
diabetes, or to make a donation, go to http://www.joinleenow.org/ .
About Lee Iacocca Lee Iacocca was the Chief Executive Officer of
Chrysler from 1978 to 1992. Prior to Chrysler, Mr. Iacocca spent 30
years at the Ford Motor Company and was President when he left in
1978. Among other accomplishments, Mr. Iacocca is credited with
creating the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Minivan, as well as saving
Chrysler from bankruptcy. His autobiography, Iacocca (1984), and a
second book, Talking Straight (1988), were bestsellers. He
dedicated all of the proceeds from his books to the Iacocca
Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that promotes diabetes
research. In the early 1980s, at the request of President Reagan,
Mr. Iacocca spearheaded the campaign to refurbish the Statue of
Liberty and Ellis Island, which raised more than $500 million. Mr.
Iacocca is a graduate of Lehigh University and Princeton
University. About the Iacocca Foundation With the proceeds of his
best-selling autobiography, Lee A. Iacocca established the Iacocca
Foundation in 1984 in honor of his late wife, Mary K. Iacocca, who
died from complications of type 1 diabetes. Since 1984, the Iacocca
Foundation has given more than $20 million to diabetes research.
More information is available at http://www.iacoccafoundation.org/
. About the Chrysler Group The Chrysler Group, headquartered in
Auburn Hills, Mich., is a unit of DaimlerChrysler AG, the world's
fifth largest automaker. Its brands, including Chrysler, Jeep(R)
and Dodge, feature some of the most recognizable vehicles like the
Chrysler 300, Jeep Liberty, and Dodge Magnum. In 2004, the Chrysler
Group sold 2.7 million vehicles worldwide. The DaimlerChrysler
Corporation Fund, the Company's philanthropic arm, gave more than
$23.7 million in grants last year. DATASOURCE: Chrysler Group
CONTACT: Suraya DaSante, +1-248-512-4889, ; or Russell LaMontagne,
Iacocca Foundation, +1-212-255-5340, Web site:
http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/
http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/ http://www.joinleenow.org/
http://www.iacoccafoundation.org/
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