Toyota of Manhattan Upgrades Prize to the New iPad (iPad 3)

As previously mentioned here, if you play Gems Swap II on Toyota of Manhattan‘s Facebook page you would have a chance to win a 16GB iPad2! Well, we just wanted to let you know that now, with the announcement and release of the New iPad (iPad3) we have upgraded our prize to a 16GB New iPad (iPad 3)!!! Good luck!!!

the new iPad

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Toyota of Manhattan Keeps Big Apple Giving

Toyota of Manhattan launched its second Big Apple Giving campaign on Facebook where fans get the opportunity to vote for their favorite charity from a list of three pre-selected nominees. Toyota of Manhattan will donate $2,500 to the one with the most votes. The current contenders are:

• Food Bank of NYC: Works to end hunger in New York City by organizing food, information and support for community survival and dignity
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City: Provides mentors to all children who need caring adult role models–special friends who can help expand their horizons, realize their potential and enrich their futures–changing their lives.
• The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, Inc.: Committed to seeing the day when no New York City dog or cat of reasonable health and temperament is killed merely because he or she does not have a home.

“As a Manhattan business, we felt a sense of responsibility to help our neighbors and partner with worthy local organizations that could help the community,” stated Toyota of Manhattan General Manager Steve Kritikos.

To become a fan and vote for your favorite charity, visit www.Facebook.com/ToyotaOfManhattan.

Voting for this quarter ends July 3, 2012.

Fans can also play to win an iPad 2 and answer trivia questions for free coupons to NYC restaurants. Additionally, as a fan you can cash in on exclusive online service specials and sign up for Toyota of Manhattan’s VIP discount program to get up to 20% off on all Toyota | Scion parts, accessories and regularly-scheduled maintenance.

All visitors can keep updated on events in and around New York City. As the ‘Big Apple’ guide to the Big Apple, Toyota of Manhattan knows their customer base is a varied and fun group.

To nominate a future non-profit, please contact jason.schroeck@toyotaofmanhattan.com.

Big Apple Trivia – Win Prizes on our Facebook Page!

On our Toyota of Manhattan Facebook fan page, you may have noticed in the past week and a half, we have started something new. Every Monday and Thursday, we have our Facebook Trivia sponsored by local restaurants, where if you are the first to answer our trivia question correctly, you will win a prize from that sponsoring restaurant! Our first round of sponsors are: B.R.Guest Restaurants, Tasty Cafe, GiGi Cafe, Southern Hospitality-Hell’s Kitchen and Ivy Bakery! Be sure to answer our Trivia questions, even if it’s just a guess … you can win some great prizes from these great restaurants! Make sure you like their pages too! 🙂 **Participants must be based around the NYC metro area to play.

More Happy Toyota of Manhattan Customers! Thank you Veronica and Robert!

Congratulations Veronica and Robert, pictured here with their Finance Manager, Mel Guerra and their Toyota Camry! Thank you Veronica and Robert for choosing Toyota of Manhattan!

Facebook Fan Friday – “Sharing is Caring”

Facebook Fan Friday. An idea by Rachel Haro of Mouthful Social Media: Jay Skowron, Rachel Haro, Criss Castle, Nancy Castonguay Simmons, Megan S Barto, James A. Ziegler and the Alpha Dames have been the driving force behind making FFF a reality.

The idea behind this is simple and fun to participate in, but effective. Business networking businesses. Vouching for another business is great word of mouth advertising, especially when done by an already reputable business. Individuals  are also participating in helping spread the word about other businesses. Increasing potential likes and audience on the businesses’ social network.

In it’s third week, our very own Social Media & Web Manager, Jason Schroeck took part in a “News Update” video from the rooftop of Toyota of Manhattan joining the Alpha Dames Criss Castle in “The Middle of Nowhere” and Rachel Haro in San Francisco.

Toyota of Manhattan’s Gem Swap 16GB iPad2 Giveaway

Play Gems Swap II on Toyota of Manhattan‘s Facebook page for a chance to win a 16GB iPad2! To become an “eligible participant” you need to play Gem Swap II on Company’s Facebook page and finish with one of the top 40 scores. You must be 18 years of age or older and a United States resident to qualify.  The game will end when our Facebook page reaches 4000 “likes”. We will conduct a drawing of the eligible participants at Toyota of Manhattan to win the iPad. There will only be one winner of the 16GB iPad2. Eligible participants must be present at the time of the drawing.

Destroy gems by creating lines of 3 or more gems of the same kind. You clear a level when gems have been destroyed at all the positions. Move the gems by using the mouse to click and swap adjacent gems.

Thank You Monica! Another Happy Toyota of Manhattan Customer

Happy Toyota of Manhattan Customer Monica! Congratulations Monica on your new Scion tC Release Series 7.0! Thank you for choosing Toyota/Scion of Manhattan!

 

Giving Back to our Community

Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful … that’s what matters to me.” – Steve Jobs

Although this was a quote by Steve Jobs, it describes the type of person Toyota of Manhattan owner, Mr. John Giuffre is. See, Mr. Giuffre truly believes in giving back to the community. He doesn’t do it for the “limelight” or for the publicity; he does it because he is genuinely interested in helping out the communities that have helped his businesses grow over the years. In fact, he was recently quoted after Toyota of Manhattan and Bay Ridge Toyota (two of Mr. Giuffre’s Toyota dealerships) teamed up together to give a 2012 Toyota Sienna Mobility Edition to a wheelchair bound boy as saying:

I am grateful to God for what He has given me. I’m not interested in anything in return; I just want to be able to do something good, and I’m grateful that the family will have this amazing vehicle. It’s not for the publicity. I don’t want the fanfare!” – John Giuffre

(L-R) Mekimi Chairman of the Board Chesky Kauftheil; Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn); Mike Ianelli, General Manager, Bay Ridge Toyota; Joe Ciaccia, Social Media & Web Manager, Bay Ridge Toyota; Steve Kritikos, General Manager, Toyota of Manhattan; Jason Schroeck, Social Media & Web Manager, Toyota of Manhattan

It was because of this kind of thinking and community goals; my position of Social Media Manager with Toyota of Manhattan was created. Using the power of “Social Media for Good”, Toyota of Manhattan wants to help raise funds through our employees, friends, fans & customers donations (which Toyota of Manhattan will match in part) for local charities/foundations and individuals in our community in need of help.

Toyota of Manhattan has already worked with organizations such as: Susan G. Komen, Greater NYC, Mekimi Cheer-Up Squad, Toys for Tots NYC, 9/11 Memorial Fund and NYC Dept. of Health Bureau of Immunization. Currently we are running a contest on our Facebook page where our fans “Vote for their Favorite Charity” from 3 possible choices. The winning organization at the end of the contest will receive $2,500 from Toyota of Manhattan.

We would like to also work with some individuals in the Manhattan area that are in need of our help, that we can personally get involved with.

To nominate a future non-profit, or an individual please contact Jason Schroeck at: jason.schroeck@toyotaofmanhattan.com

Charity Profile: Nourishing NYC

As previously posted HERE, on our Facebook Fan Page, we have 3 wonderful local charities that are being voted on by our customers, staff, fans & friends. Become our fan at Toyota of Manhattan and pick a charity from our list of three. Humane Society of New York, Variety the Children’s Charity of New York or Nourishing NYC. We will donate $2,500 to the one with the most votes by February 28, 2012! Vote for your Favorite Charity

We thought it would be a good idea if you knew a little more about each organization. With this in mind we decided to do a weekly “Charity Profile” for the next 3 weeks so you can understand what each organization specifically does, why the organization feels they should win the contest and what they would do with the money, should the organization win. Our last but not least organization to be profiled is: Nourishing NYC

Organization: Nourishing NYC

Phone: (646) 524-7627

Address: 419 Lafayette St. 2nd Floor New York, NY 10003

Website: www.nourishingnyc.org

Facebook: facebook.com/nourishingnyc1

Twitter: @NourishingNYC

Company Overview:

Nourishing operates throughout the 5 boroughs, to provide “Nutrition For All.” Nourishing opened in 2008 to address poor nutrition and health while simultaneously addressing the issue of food scarcity and hunger issues afflicting the poverty-stricken East Harlem community of New York City.

Mission:

Nourishing NYC’s mission is to alleviate the strong correlation between low-income status and poor dietary health. We provide nutritious meals and nutritional education without question and without criticism. Anyone is welcome regardless of age, sex, race, financial qualifications, or religious beliefs. We achieve our mission through a three-pronged approach to feed, educate and advocate for those in need throughout New York City.

Why should Nourishing NYC win Toyota of Manhattan’s “Vote for your Favorite Charity” contest:

Nourishing NYC should win Toyota of Manhattan’s “Vote for your Favorite Charity” contest because we need funding to be able to provide citizen’s with need throughout New York City with a quality free urban produce garden, Junior Chef Program as well as through our advocacy campaign. In addition to maintaining the programs we have that help thousands of New Yorkers each year we are always striving to expand our programs and community-based anti-hunger initiatives.

What would you do with the $2,500 should Nourishing NYC win Toyota of Manhattan’s “Vote for your Favorite Charity” contest:

$2,500 will help us in our Thanksgiving Giveback campaign for the 2012 season. With the winnings from the contest we will be able to purchase hundreds of turkeys to give to in-need and impoverished families throughout NYC. Last year we gave out 1,000 turkeys and fed 10,000 people this year we would like to be able to feed even more people. In addition to the turkeys, we also provide urban nutrition classes from our V.A.N (Vehicle Advocating Nutrition), we bring health and nutrition classes to the street. With the $2,500 we could expand this program into even more neighborhoods and help win the battle between high levels of obesity and diabetes in low-income neighborhoods, by providing Nutrition For All.

Related articles

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Charity Profile: Variety the Children’s Charity of New York

As previously posted HERE, on our Facebook Fan Page, we have 3 wonderful local charities that are being voted on by our customers, staff, fans & friends. Become our fan at Toyota of Manhattan and pick a charity from our list of three. Humane Society of New York, Variety the Children’s Charity of New York or Nourishing NYC. We will donate $2,500 to the one with the most votes by February 28, 2012! Vote for your Favorite Charity

We thought it would be a good idea if you knew a little more about each organization. With this in mind we decided to do a weekly “Charity Profile” for the next 3 weeks so you can understand what each organization specifically does, why the organization feels they should win the contest and what they would do with the money, should the organization win. Our second organization to be profiled is: Variety the Children’s Charity of New York

Photography Develops My Mind

Organization: Variety the Children’s Charity of New York

Phone: (212) 760 2777

Address: 505 Eight Ave, 1800, New York, NY 10018

Website: www.varietyny.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/varietyny

Twitter: @VarietyNY

Company Overview:

Variety New York is part of Variety International, an organization that has been dedicated to supporting children across the globe for over 84 years.  The journey began in 1927, with a baby girl called Catherine, who was found abandoned on a seat at the Sheridan Square Theater in Pittsburgh, PA.  A group of 11 gentlemen affiliated with the entertainment industry agreed to provide financial and educational support to Catherine.  The welfare of this one orphan became the inspiration and motivation behind Variety the Children’s Charity! Today there are over 50 chapters in 14 countries all with a dedicated goal of supporting children.

Variety New York provides more than grants to grassroots organizations that are transforming the lives of under-served children through the arts. Variety provides a comprehensive, value-added set of resources that include technical assistance, evaluation, partnerships and collective infrastructure. In the past 5 years, Variety New York has supported over 25 organizations. In 2011/2012 alone, Variety New York is supporting 14 grantees and over 10,000 children and youth in the Tri-State area.

Mission:

For over 60 years, Variety the Children’s charity of New York has been creating opportunities and providing resources for children in the Tri-State area. Our mission is:

“To support grassroots non-profit organizations in the Tri-State area whose programs use the arts as a catalyst to transforming the lives of under-served children.”

Why should Variety the Children’s Charity of New York win Toyota of Manhattan’s “Vote for your Favorite Charity” contest:

Our goal at Variety New York is to transform the lives of children through the arts.  According to recent studies, the United States confronts a creativity crisis; for the first time in 50 years, American creativity is on the decline leading to a less prepared and successful workforce.  Hiring managers are consistently calling for more innovative and creative workers. The arts have been known to foster these skills and more. Yet, arts programming and funding is on the chopping block locally and nationally.

 At Variety New York, we strongly believe that the arts support creativity and equip children to succeed academically, vocationally, and in life.  Sadly, today, it is estimated that 60% of children DO NOT have access to any form of arts education. That number skyrockets to over 70% when looking at African American and Hispanic populations.

 At the same time, we know the arts are a cornerstone for youth to lead successful and personally fulfilling lives.  Recent research shows when youth are exposed to the arts they:

• Achieve up to a 20% advantage in reading proficiency.
• Score an average of 44 points higher in math and 59 points higher in verbal on standard achievement tests.
• Are three times more likely to be recognized for high attendance
• Are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievements
• More likely to interact with other racial groups and less likely to tolerate racist remarks
• Experience a more level the playing field for when coming from disadvantaged circumstances
• More likely to understand other nations and cultures and international issues.

Variety New York is dedicated to supporting children and youth in some of the city’s most vulnerable communities. Youth participating in grantee programs demonstrate the following results:

• 83% reported an increase in self confidence
• 92% felt part of a supportive community
• 93% reported an improved ability to work as a team
• 96% reported an improvement in their ability to express themselves

What would you do with the $2,500 should Variety the Children’s Charity of New York win Toyota of Manhattan’s “Vote for your Favorite Charity” contest:

The $2,500 would help us directly support our grantees with more grant dollars as well as workshops that can help them be more effective serving some of New York’s most deserving children.

Related articles

• Vote For Your Favorite Charity Update (toyotamanhattan.wordpress.com)
• You Pick the Charity, We’ll Donate $2,500 (toyotamanhattan.wordpress.com)
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• Introducing the ‘Big Apple’ of Our Facebook Eye: Toyota of Manhattan Launches its New Facebook Page (toyotamanhattan.wordpress.com)