CHARLOTTE, Mich., Aug. 9, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A dunk tank and aerial rides held during the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge hosted recently by Spartan Chassis, Inc., a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPAR), raised funds for the Charlotte Fire Christmas Kiddies program. Donating to the Charlotte Fire Christmas Kiddies program was driven by Spartan's commitment to improving the quality of life in the local community, where a majority of the company's associates live.
Participating in the dunk tank on behalf of Spartan Motors were: Tom Gorman, Chief Operating Officer; Joe Nowicki, Chief Financial Officer; Ed Dobbs, Senior Vice President of Emergency Response Chassis; and Art Ickes, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Manufacturing Engineering.
For $1, attendees of the event had the opportunity to pitch three balls at the target to drop one of the four Spartan Motors leadership team members into the water. Gorman, Nowicki, Dobbs and Ickes donated personal funds for each time they were individually dunked. Spartan then matched the funds donated.
"The Charlotte Fire Christmas Kiddies program is a wonderful cause and I knew I had to take the plunge on their behalf," Gorman commented. "For more than 100 years, these firefighters have gone beyond just volunteering to keep this community safe. They truly care about the well-being of families and children in need and as that number continues to rise, they are in need of additional support to ensure they have the necessary resources to make a difference in this community."
Christmas Kiddies has been a tradition in Charlotte for more than a century, going back to the days when Charlotte firefighters would bring needy families presents with horse-drawn carriages. In 2010, six volunteer firefighters dressed up as Santa and rode around making deliveries of Christmas presents and toys at more than 200 stops for more than 500 children.
"The Charlotte Fire Department appreciates Spartan's donation on behalf of the Christmas Kiddies program," said Tyger Fullerton, Captain of the Charlotte Fire Department. "Christmas is a special time of year for families with children, but in challenging economic times it can also be difficult. Every dollar of Spartan's donation will go directly to the children of this community as there are no overhead or operating costs associated with this program, truly making it the purest form of charity."
The Charlotte Fire Department covers 144 square miles including the City of Charlotte and five townships. The department has six full-time and 29 volunteer firefighters, of which Spartan currently employs seven.
The dunk tank and aerial rides were just a couple of the festivities held during the two-day event that brought out crowds of spectators from the City of Charlotte and surrounding communities to watch some of the best trained, most physically fit firefighters in North America compete in what has been called the "toughest two minutes in sports."
A gallery featuring photos of the donation and the recent Firefighter Combat Challenge are available at www.spartanchassis.com and on Spartan Chassis' Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SpartanChassisER.
About Spartan Chassis
Spartan Chassis, Inc., a subsidiary of Charlotte, Mich.-based Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPAR), is a world-class leader in the engineering, manufacturing and marketing of chassis and aftermarket parts for emergency response, recreational vehicle (RV), defense and specialty vehicles. End users recognize and request the Spartan Chassis brand, which consistently delivers superior performance, exceptional safety ratings, and innovations which distinguish us from the competition. Visit Spartan Chassis at www.spartanchassis.com.
About Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors, Inc. designs, engineers and manufactures specialty chassis, specialty vehicles, truck bodies and aftermarket parts for the recreational vehicle (RV), emergency response, government services, defense, and delivery and service markets. The Company's brand names - Spartan™, Crimson Fire™, Crimson Fire Aerials™, and Utilimaster® - are known for quality, value, service and first-to-market innovation. The Company employs approximately 1,700 at facilities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Indiana, Florida, and Texas. Spartan reported sales of $481 million in 2010 and is focused on becoming a global leader in the design, engineering and manufacture of specialty vehicles and chassis. Visit Spartan Motors at www.spartanmotors.com.