HOUSTON, January 28, 2008 - Jiffy Lube today announces its first-ever, nationwide cause-related campaign to support the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement in its fight to help eradicate heart disease. Throughout February and March, 1,823 Jiffy Lube service centers, more than 80 percent of all locations across the U.S., will participate in the Jiffy Lube Maintenance Partners for Life campaign, which stresses the importance of being vigilant about both heart health and vehicle health. Jiffy Lube is seeking to raise and donate more than $1 million to advance Go Red For Women initiatives across the country.
Heart disease is the nation's number one killer of women and men, accounting for 36 percent of all deaths annually. Approximately 460,000 women -- or almost one per minute -- die from heart disease each year, and an estimated 80 million Americans have one or more types of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although heart disease is the leading killer of women in the country, only 21 percent of women view heart disease as their greatest health threat.
Raising Funds
From February 1 through March 31, customers at participating Jiffy Lube service centers can donate $3 to the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement. In return, they receive a Maintenance Partners for Life savings book offering $100 in savings on Jiffy Lube preventive maintenance services as well as heart-healthy recipes and lifestyle tips. One hundred percent of the funds raised by Jiffy Lube will be donated to Go Red For Women, and all donations will benefit the local communities in which they are raised.
Customers can also receive a Maintenance Partners for Life sweepstakes scratch ticket for a chance to win one of hundreds of heart-healthy prizes, including a luxury SUV filled with healthy living giveaways.
"We have the opportunity to make a significant impact in the fight against heart disease through the Jiffy Lube Maintenance Partners for Life campaign, and we're proud that so many franchisees are helping give back to the communities where we serve customers," said Luis Scoffone, president of Jiffy Lube International. "We're excited to partner with the American Heart Association to raise significant funds for their Go Red For Women campaign and to encourage heart disease prevention among millions of our customers. This is crucial because many people are unaware of the significant threats posed by heart disease."
Preventive Maintenance Parallels
Jiffy Lube Maintenance Partners for Life leverages the strong parallels between properly maintaining both heart health and vehicle health, and educates people on smart preventive maintenance of their bodies and vehicles. In a recent vehicle inspection campaign by the Car Care Council, 88 percent of vehicles failed at least one part of the inspection process. Just as medical check-ups and healthy eating habits help keep a heart in good shape, proper preventive maintenance helps optimize the performance, value and longevity of a vehicle -- before a potentially costly breakdown.
Take the Test
Jiffy Lube is also challenging one million people to assess how they care for their heart and vehicle by taking the Go Red Heart CheckUp / Maintenance Partners for Life Car CheckUp challenge. The American Heart Association's Go Red Heart CheckUp (www.GoRedForWomen.org) is an online tool that helps consumers assess their 10-year risk for heart disease and provides them with recommendations on how to reduce their risk of heart disease. In addition, Jiffy Lube offers the Maintenance Partners for Life Car CheckUp (www.JiffyLube.com/GoRedForWomen) to help drivers assess how well they are tending to their vehicle's needs. The tool provides suggested actions people can take to improve maintenance of their vehicle. Both tools produce printable reports based on the user's responses.
"We're grateful to Jiffy Lube for partnering with us in the fight against heart disease," said American Heart Association Chairman of the Board, Gary L. Ellis. "They've demonstrated passion and enthusiasm for the cause and it shows in the extensive participation by their service centers across the country. Campaigns such as Maintenance Partners for Life help raise consciousness of the disease and funds that help us reach our goals."
On February 1, the American Heart Association will be celebrating National Wear Red Day by encouraging women to wear a red dress, red dress pin or red lipstick showing their passionate support for Go Red For Women. Local Jiffy Lube service centers will also be celebrating the fight against heart disease by launching the Maintenance Partners for Life campaign through special customer events and other fundraising programs.
People can visit www.JiffyLube.com/GoRedForWomen to learn more about the Maintenance Partners for Life campaign and find participating Jiffy Lube service centers.
About Maintenance Partners for Life
Jiffy Lube, America's largest fast-lube company, and the American Heart Association (AHA) are working together to fight heart disease. Through Jiffy Lube's Maintenance Partners for Life campaign, the goal is to raise more than $1 million dollars for the AHA's Go Red For Women movement, which celebrates the energy, passion and power women have to band together and eradicate heart disease.
About Go Red For Women
Since 2004, Go Red For Women has captured the energy, passion, and intelligence of women to work collectively to wipe out heart disease - the No. 1 killer of women. Today, we want millions of women across America to take heart disease personally. Using the simple platform "Love Your Heart," Go Red For Women engages these women -- and the men who love them -- to embrace the cause. Healthcare providers, celebrities, and politicians also elevate the cause and spread the word about women and heart disease. For more information about Go Red for Women, please call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278) or visit GoRedForWomen.org.
About Jiffy Lube
Jiffy Lube, with more than 2,200 service centers in North America, serves approximately 27.5 million customers each year. Jiffy Lube pioneered the fast oil change industry in 1979 by establishing the first drive-through service bay, providing customers with fast, professional service for their vehicles. Headquartered in Houston, Jiffy Lube International is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Shell Oil Company. Visit www.JiffyLube.com to learn more about Jiffy Lube and vehicle care.