COSTA MESA, Calif., Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America today announced a $25,000 donation to help the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) purchase a bus that will enable it to provide free tours and art workshops to students in the surrounding cities. MOLAA is the only museum in the United States exclusively dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American art. Located in downtown Long Beach, MOLAA currently serves more than 12,000 students annually. Hyundai's gift will also allow the Museum to cover the bus' first year of operation, which will serve a projected 5,000 additional students annually.

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"The arts play such an important role in the education of our children and we are thrilled to support MOLAA's efforts to provide local students from underserved communities this opportunity for an enriching experience," said Zafar Brooks, Director of General Affairs, Hyundai Motor America. "Hyundai has a history of supporting programs aimed at improving children's education and developing this partnership with MOLAA is a great next step in our ongoing education and diversity efforts."

In early 2012, in response to California's ongoing budget cuts in arts education, which negatively impacted the ability of local schools to pay for bus transportation to visit museums, MOLAA launched a grassroots fundraising effort to purchase a bus. Stuart A. Ashman, MOLAA's President and CEO, stated, "Over the past year, many teachers told us that the cost of bus transportation is the barrier that prevents them from bringing their classes to the Museum. It seemed to me, that if we could raise the money to purchase our own bus, we could provide our educational school tours and art workshop program to many more students. Thanks to Hyundai's generous matching contribution of $25,000 to our bus fund, MOLAA on the Move, the Museum will now be able to purchase and operate our own bus."

With its own bus, MOLAA on the Move will target schools from the Long Beach Unified and Los Angeles Unified School Districts, as well as other Southern California school districts, with priority given to Title 1 schools.

If you are interested in supporting MOLAA by making a donation to fund ongoing operational costs for its new bus, please visit http://www.molaa.myevent.com/3/donate.htm.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 820 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance.

MUSEUM OF LATIN AMERICAN ART
The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) educates the public about modern and contemporary Latin American art through the presentation of a significant permanent collection, dynamic exhibitions and related cultural and educational programs while serving as a platform for cross-cultural dialogue.

Founded in 1996 in Long Beach, California, MOLAA serves the greater Southern California region. MOLAA is the only museum in the United States exclusively dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American art. MOLAA offers an array of programming including K-12 school tours, workshops and summer art camp and cultural activities featuring music, dance, literature, film and the culinary traditions of Mexico, Central and South America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. The Museum welcomes over 50,000 visitors annually. To learn more, visit the MOLAA website at www.molaa.org.

SOURCE Hyundai Motor America