PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University marketing students will team up to feed the hungry with local General Motors’ dealership Chipman & Taylor Chevrolet-Oldsmobile April 1 to April 7.
Sixteen marketing students, selected to be part of WSU’s fifth annual General Motors Marketing Internship (GMMI), will spend seven days at area grocery stores, seeking donations from shoppers of non-perishable food. Donations will be loaded into vehicles provided by Chipman & Taylor.
“The goal each day will be to fill the vehicle, then transfer the food into two Chevrolet trucks in the Chipman & Taylor showroom,” said Colleen Flynn, a senior from Bothell and leader of the GMMI philanthropy team. “At the end of the week, the food will be presented to the Pullman Food Bank on behalf of Chipman & Taylor.”
People who donate three or more food items will be entered in a grand prize drawing for one of three prizes: a one-night stay at the Holiday Inn Express on Bishop Boulevard in the suite of their choice; summer SEAFAIR hydroplane race tickets on Lake Washington; or a WSU Mom’s Weekend gift pack good April 13-14. The three winners will be drawn at 5:30 p.m., Monday, April 8, at the Chipman & Taylor dealership at S.E. 250 Bishop Blvd.
Donations will be accepted at the following times and locations:
●5-8 p.m. Monday, April 1, at Dissmore’s
●5-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at Safeway (Pullman)
●5-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at Safeway (Moscow)
●5-8 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at Rosauers
●Noon-6 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at Dissmore’s
●Noon-6 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at Safeway (Pullman)
This philanthropy is the first step in a two-part program planned by the interns. They also are organizing an interactive, promotional event for students and community members from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 17, on Glenn Terrell Mall on the WSU campus. There will be games, prizes, food and several Chevrolet vehicles on hand. The theme for the event is “Drivin’ the Palouse with Chevy” and will focus on Chevrolet vehicles plus the outdoor, leisure activities that are available to residents of the Palouse.
Participants at the event will be asked to answer questions about each vehicle on the mall. Correct answers will put them in a drawing for more than $2,400 in prizes donated by regional businesses, including a G. Loomis fishing rod and a two-night stay at Big Mount Ski Resort in Montana. GMMI is in its fifth year at WSU. Previous years’ GMMI mall event activity days drew hundreds of people, including students, WSU employees and community members.
“Over the semester, the interns divide into teams to complete jobs that a marketing agency would during a campaign,” said David Sprott, marketing assistant professor in charge of the internship program. “The teams include event planning, philanthropy, public relations, advertising, reports, and pre- and post-campaign research. At the end of the semester, they present a report on their campaign results to Chipman & Taylor and any visiting executives from General Motors and EdVenture, the California company that oversees the GMMI program on several college campuses.”
For more information, contact Roxanne Walczak, GMMI student public relations team leader, at 509/333-5250 or rwalczak@wsu.edu.
