Chevrolet Donates 50 Trucks to Red Cross for Storm Relief. Brand sends full-size pickups and vans to sites hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy

DETROIT – Chevrolet today donated 50 Silverado full-size pickup trucks and Express cargo vans to the American Red Cross for use in relief and recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy and other storms buffeting the Eastern seaboard and nearby states.

“It is during disasters like this that we all need to pull together as a country and Chevrolet has a role in that,” said General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. “Making these vehicles available quickly where they can do the most good is something we can do right now.”

GM’s OnStar subsidiary is also supporting the initiative by providing each of the donated vehicles with 300 OnStar Hands-Free Calling minutes of hands-free cellular and three months of its Directions and Connections plan which includes turn-by-turn navigation services. Service available via Advisor or by download. The trucks are being pulled from existing inventory at dealerships closest to where they are needed.

In addition to the vehicle donation, the GM Foundation earlier donated $250,000 to the Red Cross Disaster Responder Program, which enables the agency to be ready to provide immediate disaster relief anywhere in the country.  The money is used to shelter, feed and meet emotional needs of disaster victims. The money also helps feed emergency workers, handle inquiries from concerned family members outside the disaster area, provide blood and blood products and help disaster victims access other available resources.

“The impact of Hurricane Sandy is being assessed up and down the East Coast and even further west, and the road to recovery will be long for many families,” said Neal Litvack, Chief Development Officer of the American Red Cross. “GM’s generous donation of vehicles and the GM Foundation’s donation of finances will help the American Red Cross to respond with shelter, food and care, aiding affected residents now and after the storm, as they move toward recovery,”

Anyone interested in providing support to hurricane victims are encouraged to visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make a donation.

DC Entertainment is leading a charity campaign called “We Can Be Heroes” to raise awareness of hunger in The Horn of Africa. With help from artist Jim Lee and Rides magazine, Kia has joined the Justice League with a Batman-themed Optima SX apparently inspired by the Dark Knight’s darkest nights.

Looking like Batman went to SEMA, a set of coilovers gets the Optima SX hunkered down over an intense bodykit and 20-inch wheels. The exterior is done in matte black and piano black, but a carpet of yellow LEDs will make sure it never gets lost in the night – they even shine from behind the massive brakes, the Batwing-shaped grille and the HID headlights etched with the Bat-Signal. The interior gets lots of black leather with Batman logos, “utility throwing stars” in the console and a Batsuit and cowl in the trunk.

The one-off Kia will be unveiled in Gotham City, and it’s the first of eight custom Kias playing doppelgangers to DC characters. There’s more about it in the press release below, and NYC’s Time Warner Center is where you want to be to see it in person.