MINI TAKES THE STATES Shifts Into Gear and motors WITH a PURPOSE

Woodcliff Lake, NJ,  July 11, 2016. MINI TAKES THE STATES 2016 (MTTS), the eagerly anticipated two-week cross-country rally for MINI owners and enthusiasts, kicked off this weekend in Atlanta, GA. The bi-annual trek will travel track-to-track through America’s open roads, stopping in 14 cities over 15 days with thousands of MINIs.  Along the way, the group will rally to #DefyHunger with charity partner Feeding America.
 
“Big things happen when the MINI community comes together, and this year is no different,” said Tom Noble, Department Head, MINI Brand Communications. “MINI TAKES THE STATES is the ultimate road trip and we’re as excited for the adventure as we are for our cause. The fight against hunger has many faces, it’s not always a lack of food but rather a lack of the right resources to avoid waste, maximize efficiencies and get the food where it’s needed most. Through our Feeding America partnership, we hope to raise money and awareness as we motor with purpose across America.” 
 
Kicking-off the journey, a team of parachutists dove from planes 3,000 feet in the sky towards a fleet of MINI Convertibles filled with food donations, asking all to “jump in” to help #DefyHunger.  From Atlanta, motorers headed north to Charlotte, NC, this weekend kicking off a 15-day adventure that will end in Palm Springs, CA on July 23rd.
 
With a goal to provide more than 800,000 meals to families in need, drivers, consumers and others can contribute in various ways. A portion of each MTTS participant’s registration fee is donated to Feeding America®, and MINI will collect food donations onsite each morning.
 
Every motorist can also start an individual or team fundraising page. Once donation pages are set up, participants will automatically qualify for an exclusive badge decal they can proudly display on their MINI. As they continue to reach donation milestones, they’ll collect additional badges.
 
MINI owners looking to join up with the rally can still register at MINITAKESTHESTATES.com or on-site the day of the event in each city.
 
Videos and photos from today’s event are available for download on MINIUSANEWS.com. Daily updates from the road are also available on the MTTS 2016 Blog on MINIUSANEWS.com.  Media interested in updates on MINI USA can also follow us on Twitter at @MINIUSANEWS.
 
About MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The MINI USA sales organization is represented in the U.S. through a network of 126 MINI passenger car dealers in 39 states. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI Brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of six unique vehicles.
 
About Feeding America
Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Journalist notes: Media information about MINI and its products is available to journalists on-line at www.miniusanews.com. Follow us on Twitter at@MINIUSANEWS

Consumer information about MINI products is available via the internet at: www.MINIUSA.com.