Congrats Todd
LIFE LONG BMW ENTHUSIAST WINS BMW NATIONAL CONTEST TO BECOME PROUD OWNER OF MADONNA-SIGNED M5
12/11/2002
"Star" Vehicle Raises $200,000 For Breast Cancer Research During Five-Month Cross-Country Trek
HOLDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, DECEMBER 11, 2002...Todd Manning, a resident of Holden, has won a 2001 BMW M5 signed by pop star Madonna in a national contest conducted by BMW to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The announcement was made today by Holly Babich, Manager of Consumer Events for BMW of North America, LLC.
Mr. Manning's name was randomly selected from more than 30,000 entries that were collected over a five-month period as the M5 toured the country as part of the BMW Ultimate Drive for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, now in its sixth year of raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research and community outreach programs for the Komen Foundation.
According to Ms. Babich, "Having a national contest to win this autographed vehicle really added an extra element of excitement to the BMW Ultimate Drive Program this year. Not only could the general public help raise much needed funds for the fight against breast cancer by visiting their local dealerships, but for a recommended donation of $10.00, they also received a chance to win a car signed by a superstar."
A life-long love of cars is what motivated Mr. Manning to submit his winning entry. "I have always been a car enthusiast," said Mr. Manning. "As a kid, I made dozens of little model cars, then as an adult my first car was a 1966 BMW 1800 which I bought used. So the idea of owning another BMW that was signed by such a unique entertainer, and used in the bmwfilms.com short film "Star," is really going to be a kick."
"Star," was the fourth film from the first year of the critically acclaimed series, The Hire, an unprecedented web-based entertainment project of five original films on bmwfilms.com that premiered in June 2001. In the film, Madonna played "The Superstar" and British acting sensation Clive Owen played "The Driver" of the silver M5. The Driver faces a perplexing challenge - dealing with the ego of a hugely talented and successful rock star who is accustomed to getting what she wants. The Driver ultimately puts the Superstar in her place with some very fancy moves in the silver M5.
Mr. Manning will learn some of the very moves Clive Owen used to put his "Superstar" in her place. For two days, Mr. Manning and his M5 will experience BMW Ultimate Driving training at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina. There, with the guidance of professional drivers, Mr. Manning will put the car through its paces on unique road courses that include a wide array of road configurations (interconnecting straight sections, loops and corners), water walls and skidpads.
"This is one of the most exciting things that's ever happed to me!" said Mr. Manning, a long time resident of Holden. "I have never won anything in my life, and the idea that now my friends and family are going to see me driving around in this incredible silver BMW - with the Madonna signature to boot, well, don't wake me up yet, cause I must be dreaming."
Mr. Manning entered the contest at the BMW Vintage Car Races at Limerock Race Track in Lime Rock, Connecticut over Labor Day Weekend. The 44-year old father of two teenage sons is the Director of Construction Administration for Lamoureux Pagano Associates, an architectural firm located in Worcester. Mr. Manning's wife, Carol, did not believe her husband when she first found out about their good fortune. "I remember that Todd donated to breast cancer research when he entered the contest, which I thought was great. Winning this car is unbelievable," she said.
The Komen Foundation
The Komen Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. The Foundation is an international organization with a network of volunteers working through Affiliates to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease by advancing research, education, screening and treatment. Since its inception, the Komen Foundation has raised $450 million for the fight against breast cancer.
The Komen Foundation runs one of the most innovative, responsive grant programs in breast cancer today. In addition to funding research, the Foundation and its Affiliates fund non-duplicative, community-based breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment projects for the medically underserved.
For more information about breast health or breast cancer, call the Komen Foundation's National Toll-Free Breast Care Helpline at 1.800 I'M AWARE( (1-800-462-9273), or visit the Foundation's website at
www.komen.org.
BMW Group In America
BMW of North America has been present in the United States since 1975. Since then, the BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales and financial service organizations for the BMW and MINI brands; a South Carolina manufacturing operation; DESIGNWORKS/USA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.
The BMW Group is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW car, 327 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle, 148 BMW Motorcycle retailers and 69 MINI car dealers. BMW US Holding Corp., the Group's headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at
http://www.bmwusa.com http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com and
http://www.miniusa.com.
Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address -
www.press.bmwgroup.com.
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Contact at The Komen Foundation:
Kristin Kelly
972-855-1607
Lifelong BMW Enthusiast Wins Madonna's M5
