Support Military Charities in the “GMC Sierra Hashtag Challenge”

DALLAS - July 16, 2013 - PRLog -- DALLAS, TEXAS (July 9, 2013)…In honor of the new 2014 GMC Sierra, DFW GMC Dealers – in partnership with Cumulous Radio – are launching the “GMC Sierra Hashtag Challenge” to benefit two military charities – Patriot Paws and Snowball Express. Terry Dorsey with New Country 96.3 KSCS will lead the challenge.

“I’m honored to lead the GMC Sierra Hashtag Challenge,” says Dorsey, who will air promotions on KSCS. “Patriot Paws and Snowball Express do amazing work helping our veterans and their families. The GMC Sierra Hashtag Challenge is a great way to let people learn about them, and I thank the DFW GMC Dealers for doing this.”

DFW GMC Dealers have two 2014 GMC Sierra trucks in the Metroplex. One truck is wrapped with #TeamStripes for Patriot Paws and the other is #TeamStars for Snowball Express. The trucks will travel the Metroplex to various events and celebrations, and the public can have their photograph taken with each truck. Participants will vote for a charity by uploading their photograph to Twitter and/or Instagram with their charity’s hashtag – #TeamStripes for Patriot Paws or #TeamStars for Snowball Express.

“We just celebrated our country’s independence, and we wanted to show our veterans we care,” says John Bustetter, zone manager, South Central Region GMC. “They have given so much for our country – including their lives, in many cases – just as our forefathers did. Patriot Paws and Snowball Express are wonderful organizations that are helping returning veterans and the families of those who didn’t return.”

For every photo taken at an event and posted with a hashtag, the submitter will be entered to win a 2013 Country Fair VIP ticket package and the opportunity to help present the check to their chosen charity on stage during the Country Fair Concert presented by GMC Sierra. The biggest two-day country music event of the year. September 6and 7 at Gexa Energy Pavilion. Montgomery Gentry, Pat Green, the Randy Rogers Band, Gary Allan, Kix Brooks and many more – all on one stage!

Events and locations will be announced in the next few days and will be posted on www.GMCSierraHashtagChallenge.com. The challenge begins on July 9, 2013. The charity with the most hashtags at 11:59 PM on August 18, 2013, will win $8,000. The other charity will receive $2,000.

The DFW GMC Dealers want everyone to have an opportunity to support the charities. Supporters who can’t come out for a photo can share and repost photos with their charity’s hashtag. To make retweeting easy, DFW GMC Dealers, New Country 96.3 KSCS, 995 The Wolf and the charities will tweet a weekly image of the truck with their hashtag and ask followers to retweet it. Votes must be posted with the correct hashtag to count.

Patriot PAWS

Patriot PAWS Service Dogs trains service dogs primarily for veterans with mobility disabilities. The non-profit 501(c)(3) organization trains its own dogs and acquires them when they are 6-12 weeks old. It takes 18-24 months to train each dog, with an average cost of $27,000 per dog. Patriot PAWS provides service dogs to veterans nationwide and currently has a 2-year waiting list for veteran applicants to receive a service dog. There is no charge to the veteran for the service dogs. Patriot PAWS addresses a number of needs in the community: disabled veterans regain lost independence and emotional stability; prison inmates, who have an active part in training service dogs, have the opportunity to learn a new vocation and give back to society; and rescue dogs are given a new lease on life. For more information, visit www.patriotpaws.org.

Snowball Express

Snowball Express honors America’s fallen military service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice since 9/11 by humbly serving the families they left behind. The non-profit organization creates opportunities to bring these unique families together to build hope and new memories after the tragic loss of a military parent. Since 2006, each year’s efforts culminate in the year-end signature event. Every December, the single largest gathering of military children brings together nearly 2,000 children and their surviving parent from all over the United States and as far away as Guam, Germany and Puerto Rico. They come to Dallas-Fort Worth for an all expenses paid holiday event that changes lives. Five days and four nights are packed with joyful experiences that help the families heal, allow them to create positive new memories, and learn they are not alone and that their family’s sacrifice is not forgotten. Since 9/11, more than 8500 children under the age of 18 have lost their hero while serving our country. For more information, visit www.snowballexpress.org.

2014 GMC Sierra

An all-new 2014 Sierra 1500 Denali full-size pickup is available with a 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8 that will produce an estimated 420 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque, the most power and torque of any light duty truck engine. Sierras equipped with the 4.3L EcoTec3 V6 are also the most capable trucks with a standard V6 engine, with the highest payload of 2108 pounds and the highest available towing rating of 7,000 pounds.  All this while achieving 18 mpg city and 24 mpg hwy.

For more information on DFW GMC, visit www.facebook.com/GMCDFW.

Contact: Jo Trizila, TrizCom Inc., jo@TrizCom.com, Office: 972-247-1369, Cell: 214-232-0078