In 2019, the Kia Corporation started changing lives with its “Accelerate The Good” charitable initiative. What once started off as a scholarship program, known as the Great Unknowns Scholarship for students in need looking to pursue their dreams of higher education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and/or Math (STEAM), the automaker expanded to non-profit charity organizations and donating to many disaster relief efforts. In October 2022, Kia donated $600,000 to four non-profit organizations to provide housing, medical care, meals, and greater access to digital learning for the families and children of Bryan County, Georgia. Kia also donated a total of $500,000 to the American Red Cross to help those affected by Hurricane Ian. Kia America comes back to Georgia following the recent tornado, joining Kia Georgia to contribute $100,000 to the American Red Cross of Georgia in support of their tornado relief efforts.
“The Red Cross of Georgia is grateful to Kia America and Kia Georgia for their generous donation to help provide relief to those impacted by disasters here in our state…With this support, our dedicated Red Cross volunteers will continue to deliver safe shelter, food, comfort and hope to those in need.” – Dee Dixon, Regional Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross of Georgia
Since 1950, Georgia has been prone to tornadoes, and right there on the coast puts it in the way of hurricanes, too. After the recent tornadoes that travelled across Georgia on January 12, 2023, more than 500 homes were affected, including a dozen team members from Kia’s U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia. During a time like this, relief organizations can use plenty of support, and the $100,000 donation will go towards facilitating temporary shelter and support for tornado victims. Kia will also be collecting supplies for tornado victims and disaster relief workers as an additional act of kindness with the initial monetary donation.
Since the “Accelerate the Good” charitable initiative started in 2019, Kia has provided nearly $14 million to those in need. Other charitable acts include donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® in the continued effort treat and defeat childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. During the pandemic, Kia America joined the wave of automakers that switched from manufacturing automobiles to producing personal protective equipment (PPE) to medical facilities nationwide.
Most recently, Kia America donated a custom 2023 Sportage SUV to Sea Turtle Inc., a non-profit organization based in South Padre Island, Texas that’s all about saving the sea turtles. This custom 2023 Kia Sportage X-Pro came with a specially modified tow hitch, white LED lights that can switch to glow red, large low-pressure tires, a custom paint job with “Turtle Charged” badging, plus many innovative storage solutions added around the cabin and the cargo area for transporting eggs, sea turtle hatchlings, and rehabilitated adult sea turtles by Sea Turtle Inc. If those nature documentary shows are anything to go by, a very small percentage of sea turtles actually make it into the water, ending up as a snack for a fiend of the avian variety – hungry birds. But that’s nature. Want to help Kia in its efforts to provide disaster relief, or even help save the sea turtles? Show your support when you buy a new Kia vehicle at Miami Lakes Automall.