$500,000 and five hybrid vehicles donated by Toyota to Grand Canyon National Park

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz., Sept. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Toyota is providing $500,000 and five hybrid vehicles to the Grand Canyon Association to support a number of environmental, education and safety programs for visitors to the park and high school students across the country, it was announced today.

This donation is part of a $5 million contribution from Toyota in support of five National Parks and the National Park Foundation to enhance environmental leadership and educational programs at parks around the country. The company is also donating 23 vehicles in total to the national parks.

'Toyota's philanthropic support makes more resources available to the youth of this country and ensures the future stewardship of Grand Canyon National Park and other public lands,' said Susan Schroeder, executive director of the Grand Canyon Association, the official fundraising partner of the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon National Park will use Toyota's contribution to expand the park's Preventative Search and Rescue Program to the North Rim. This program ensures that visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience at the park. On the South Rim alone, this program can reach up to 1,200 hikers each day. A majority of the funds will be used to support the Grand Canyon's Environmental Education (GCEE) program, which will offer travel grants to schools in inner-cities, rural counties and Indian reservations to enable the groups to bring their students to the park.