Volvo CE donates $290,000 from Gold Rush excavator auction
Voters in Discovery’s Give Big Giveaway determined the amounts Building Homes for Heroes and Habitat for Humanity each received
As a result of the sale of its Gold Rush excavator, Volvo Construction Equipment has contributed $290,000 to two nonprofit organizations — Building Homes for Heroes and Habitat for Humanity.
Volvo introduced the excavator to commemorate the 10th season of Gold Rush on Discovery Channel. The exclusive gold Volvo EC200E was auctioned off by the Ritchie Bros. this February following a U.S. and Canada tour spanning nearly 25,000 miles and 25 stops.
Leading up to the auction, the public cast approximately 1.5 million votes to choose which nonprofit should receive the larger value of the machine's sale proceeds as part of the Discovery Give Big Giveaway campaign. With the votes in, 60 percent of the proceeds went to Building Homes for Heroes and 40 percent to Habitat for Humanity.
For public health precautions during the coronavirus pandemic, Volvo handed over the proceeds to Building Homes for Heroes in a virtual event.
Helping provide homes for veterans
Building Homes for Heroes hopes to build and gift as many as 40 homes in 2020 for injured veterans and their families, which these funds will help support. The organization is also in the process of giving thousands of $500 checks to injured veterans and their families, many of whom are at risk of homelessness, in response to the current pandemic to help them purchase essential items.
But Building Homes for Heroes provides more to veterans than housing assistance — they also help consult with veterans on career opportunities and achieve their personal goals, from learning a new sport or hobby to even climbing mountains.
Proudly supporting Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity works in local communities across all 50 states and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of affordable housing partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. While many planned home builds were temporarily put on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organization is encouraging virtual volunteerism in the meantime to help raise funds for future builds — something Volvo is doing its part to support through its $116,000 donation.
