IRVINE, CA - May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- A local hero from the Des Moines area today is receiving a "thank you" to last a lifetime: a complimentary new Volvo car every three years for the rest of her life.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080501/LATH559)

Earlier this year, celebrity judges named Marilyn Adams, "America's Greatest Hometown Hero" in the 6th Annual Volvo for life Awards, the nation's largest search for and celebration of everyday heroes. Adams, 57, of Earlham, Iowa, founded Farm Safety 4 Just Kids and set out on a mission to promote safe farm environments across the country and eliminate farm-related child health hazards, injuries and fatalities.

Launched in 2002, the Volvo for life Awards calls for people nationwide to nominate a local hero they know doing the extraordinary in the areas of Safety, Quality of Life or Environment at http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com. Since the inception of the program, Volvo has contributed more than $6 million to help hometown heroes continue their exceptional work in their communities. In February, Volvo selected three winning heroes in each category.

Judges Hank Aaron, Sen. Bill Bradley, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Maya Lin, Dr. Sally Ride and Dr. Mae Jemison then selected the overall category winners, who received a $100,000 charitable contribution. At a gala ceremony in New York this past March, judges announced Adams as the winner in the Safety category and also unveiled her as the overall grand winner and a recipient of a Volvo car every three years for life.

For her first car choice, Adams selected the 2008 Volvo XC90. Today, at a lunchtime ceremony at Willis Auto Campus in Des Moines, attended by Adams' friends, family and associates, the retailer and executives from Volvo Cars of North America presented Adams with the keys to her new car.

"Every year I am touched by the amazing stories and thousands of nominations we receive through the Volvo for life Awards," said Doug Speck, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. "Marilyn Adams devotes an incredible amount of energy and skills to addressing farm safety in our country. It's an honor for Volvo to help her advance her cause."

The 7th Annual Volvo for life Awards already is underway. Visit www.volvoforlifeawards.com now to nominate heroes making a difference in your community.

About Marilyn Adams
More than 20 years ago, Adams, 57, faced every mother's greatest fear. Her 11-year-old son, Keith, suffocated in a gravity flow wagon while helping with the first full day of harvest on the family's farm in Iowa. Determined to find a constructive outlet for her grief, she was inspired to create a nonprofit organization working to educate children about farm safety and health. In 1987, Adams founded Farm Safety 4 Just Kids and set out on a mission to promote safe farm environments and eliminate farm-related child health hazards, injuries and fatalities. Today, as a result of her work, thousands of volunteers across the United States and Canada help to keep rural kids safe and healthy.

A report by the National Safety Council found that children between the ages of five and 14 were 66 percent more likely to be injured in a farm accident than adults aged 45 to 64. Farm Safety 4 Just Kids' contribution to the farm safety movement has helped to reduce the number of agriculture-related fatalities among children in the United States. Farm families now have additional programs and educational materials highlighting the dangers that children can encounter on farms, and information about how to avoid them. Farm Safety 4 Just Kids now has 137 chapters throughout North America. Through her visits to rural schools, media appearances, testimony before government agencies and in Congress, Adams has spread her farm safety message across the country.

Volvo Cars of North America

Volvo Cars of North America

The Volvo for life Awards is America’s largest annual search for everyday heroes. Through this program, Volvo recognizes people whose selfless actions most exemplify our core values of safety, quality of life and the environment with charitable contributions totaling nearly $1 million. You nominate. America votes for the finalists. Our distinguished judges select the winners, who receive $100,000 to the charity of their choice. And one hero will drive away with a new Volvo, every three years, for life. Visit www.volvoforlifeawards.com for more information and to read the incredible hero stories.

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