BMW Donates Motorcycles to Pentagon
 

The following is a press release from BMW:

BMW of North America, LLC has donated six R1100 RT-P police motorcycles to the United States Department of Defense to assist the Pentagon Police in establishing its first motorcycle unit. The donation is part of the company's program to provide motorcycles to law enforcement agencies in communities significantly impacted by the September 11 tragedy.

At a ceremony held at the historic Pentagon building in Washington, D.C., Thomas Plucinsky (pictured on left), General Manager, BMW of North America, Motorcycles, underscored BMW's longstanding commitment to the United States by indicating that it is not only BMW's most important export market; it is home to significant BMW automotive production, design and research facilities; and that BMW employs, directly and through its retail organization, nearly 50,000 people here.

"While the human dimension of our company can be measured in numerical terms, there is another more important facet to the human dimension – the experiences we share," commented Mr. Plucinsky. "The events of September 11 made that point. All of you were violated that day when this building was attacked and you lost friends and associates. BMW also lost a valued employee that day. Linda Gronlund, then our Manager of Environmental Compliance, was traveling to California on United Flight 93."

Following September 11, BMW made a significant cash donation to the Red Cross, as well as 10 U.S.-built X5 sports activity vehicles for its disaster relief efforts. The company helped endow a scholarship in Ms. Gronlund's honor at MIT, and it has donated motorcycles to 38 law enforcement agencies in communities deeply affected by the tragedy. In most cases, BMW assisted those communities in establishing motor units where none had previously existed. It also established a training program to ensure that officers were well prepared to operate the technologically advanced motors.

The motorcycles donated to the Pentagon were previously operated by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), repurchased by BMW as part of its contract with the CHP, and outfitted with special lighting and equipment. Officers of the newly established Pentagon Police Motor Unit will utilize the motorcycles for traffic enforcement in the Pentagon reservation.