The Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee and the Child and Future Foundation held a vehicle donation ceremony on the 19th at the AMG Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, announcing the delivery of a total of 20 EQB electric SUVs to 20 social welfare institutions nationwide on the 20th.
This initiative is part of the company-wide employee participation program “Together with Mercedes-Benz,” which has been ongoing since 2016 to support safe and convenient transportation for vulnerable groups.
This year, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz Korea, the largest donation of its kind was made, totaling 20 vehicles. This number is double that from the previous year.
The donation ceremony was attended by over 100 guests, including Thomas Klein, chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee, Lee Hoon-kyu, chairman of the Child and Future Foundation, employees of official Mercedes-Benz dealerships, and representatives from the 20 recipient social welfare institutions.
The organizations receiving the vehicles include the Yongsan Happiness Disabled Independent Living Center in Seoul, the Baby Home in Busan, Love Mountain in Gwacheon, and Ejirang in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, among others. These locations were selected through direct consultations with local Mercedes-Benz dealers and partners, who identified the institutions in need of transportation assistance. The final 20 were selected through evaluations by the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee and the Child and Future Foundation.
Lee Seong-jun, the facility director of Love Mountain, one of the receiving institutions, stated, “As an organization supporting severely disabled individuals, we needed more comfortable and safer vehicles to operate our rehabilitation programs smoothly. I expect that the warm gesture from the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee will enhance the quality of life of the individuals with disabilities at Love Mountain.”
Thomas Klein, chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee, expressed, “As my last official event in Korea, I feel very fulfilled and special to be able to directly assist institutions in need of Mercedes-Benz vehicles through this donation ceremony. I hope to continue activities that can provide substantial support to Korean society while reminiscing about the values of mutual growth and coexistence on the 20th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz Korea being part of Korea.”
Since 2022, the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee has donated a total of 44 Mercedes-Benz vehicles to 43 social welfare institutions nationwide, significantly contributing to improving mobility for vulnerable populations and enhancing access to cultural activities and medical services. This year, the EQB was chosen as the donation vehicle. The EQB is a family electric SUV model known for its spacious interior and high space utilization, expected to provide more comfortable and safer transportation for the recipient institutions.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr