Motor Car Dealers Association of Costa Mesa Announces Dollars for Schools Program.

News Editors & Education/Automotive Writers

COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2000

Schools in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa will benefit from a new program announced today. The automobile dealers known as the Harbor Boulevard of Cars in Costa Mesa launched a Dollars For Schools Program. The 12-month program is expected to provide $200,000 or more for area schools.

Dealer Association president Sonny Kapur will make the announcement at the Tuesday, October 24 Newport-Mesa School Board meeting (7:00 p.m.). According to Kapur, "The dealers recognize the importance of education in our community and support the Newport-Mesa District's mission to graduate students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to achieve success in our society. We discussed this program for several months, then joined together and actually began reserving funds in July so that we could announce the program and make a contribution of $50,000 at the same time. We have pledged funds to the program for each new or used vehicle sold through June 30, 2001."

The Dollars For Schools Program is intended to fund significant resource acquisition and facility improvements to enhance quality education in the district. The first gift of $50,000 was designated to the Costa Mesa Community Athletic Foundation to spur fundraising for a 50-Meter Olympic Aquatic Facility at Costa Mesa High School. The dealer association will contribute funds each quarter to the Newport Mesa Schools Foundation, which will transmit the funds to a project chosen by the dealers.

Foundation president Forest Werner lauded the commitment by the dealers. "This tremendous community-minded gesture by the auto dealers will provide significant dollars for our schools. We are pleased to be the advisor and conduit for the program's contributions and some of the funds will remain in the Foundation to fund special curriculum enhancement projects chosen by our board," concluded Werner.

The Motor Car Dealers Association of Costa Mesa, commonly called the Harbor Boulevard of Cars, achieved over $650 million in new and used car sales in 1999. Association members invest more than $10.6 million annually in local advertising to attract customers to the dealerships on Harbor Boulevard.

Annual sales volume by the Harbor Boulevard of Cars dealers generates about $51 million in sales tax for California with an estimated $6.5 million in sales tax returned to local governments.