Show Me the "Green!" Toyota Celebrates Five Year CIAA Partnership with Scholarship Donations

Toyota Green Initiative drives its commitment to community and environmental education during TGI Serve Block Party with guests Lisa Leslie and MC Lyte

TORRANCE, CA -- Feb. 26, 2015: Toyota pulls up for the J, and it's nothing but net!

Solidifying its fifth-year partnership with the historical Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Toyota's environmental stewardship program Toyota Green Initiative (TGI) is showing the value of "green" during the 2015 CIAA Basketball Tournament. Over the last five years, TGI has donated $1 million to support CIAA scholarship and environmental curricula at various historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and CIAA will commemorate this milestone by presenting Toyota with the 2015 Corporate Partner of the Year Award during the Toyota Finals Night at Time Warner Cable Arena.

"We are proud to recognize Toyota as the CIAA Partner of the Year," says CIAA commissioner Jacqie McWilliams. "Toyota is the true definition of a partner from their support of our 12-member institutions and 3,000 plus student-athletes, to their drive in providing opportunities to educate our students, alumni and community on the benefits of sustainable living. Congratulations, and thank you for your continued support of the CIAA."

In celebration of its continued partnership and leading up to the CIAA finals, TGI will kick back with the community and flex its philanthropic muscles during TGI Serve: An Eco-Block Party where green enthusiasts and local volunteers are invited to help revitalize Five Points Park (located at 200 French Street, Charlotte, NC 28216) on Friday, February 27 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm. TGI Coalition members, including former WNBA MVP, four-time Olympic gold-medalist and eco-mom Lisa Leslie will share her eco-platform and sustainability practices, while hip-hop pioneer DJ MC Lyte rock the block.

Guests will indulge in an eco-lunch provided by Taco Green-Go food truck, which uses sustainable practices when sourcing food, cooking and providing healthy meal options. There will also be a dedicated "TGI Green Resources Area" where local organizations will provide health screenings and information on sustainability.

"We're proud to enrich our partnership with the CIAA, while providing resources that help promote sustainable living," said Jim Colon, vice president of African-American Business Strategy for Toyota Motor Sales, Inc. "Our commitment to environmental progress extends throughout HBCU campuses and the surrounding communities."

In addition to Lisa Leslie, the TGI coalition, a collection of celebrities and environmental experts who speak on relevant ways to go green, will be in attendance. Coalition members include Charlotte–native and TGI Campus Contest Winner Stephen Graddick IV, environmental advocates Earthseed, SMB Essentials CEO Lake Louise, and green blogger Yoli Ouiya.

Launched by Toyota in 2009, the Toyota Green Initiative is designed to educate students, faculty and alumni of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) on the benefits of adopting a sustainable lifestyle. In 2014, as a symbol of its continued partnership with the CIAA, Toyota provided each CIAA school with a Toyota Prius lift back to assist in driving the Toyota "green" initiative forward.

About Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)

The annual CIAA Basketball Tournament is one of the nation's premier sporting events. Touted as the third most attended basketball tournament among all NCAA divisions and recorded consecutive sellouts, the CIAA has generated over $266 million in economic impact for the state of North Carolina and over $16.5 million in overall scholarship dollars for CIAA member institutions.