NISSAN raised £116,000 from the ‘Bolt Gold’ Nissan GT-R and Bolt Merchandise online charity auction held on eBay recently.
All proceeds will be donated to the Usain Bolt Foundation to help create educational and cultural opportunities for children and young people in Bolt’s home country of Jamaica.
Competition for the one-off ‘Bolt Gold’ Nissan GT-R was fierce, with offers stemming from around the globe during the ten-day auction, culminating in a winning bid of £116,000.
More than 100 people also competed for nine items of Bolt merchandise on the auction block, including racing helmets, special driving suits and boots, which brought in a total of £3,776.
Nissan’s chief operating officer, Toshiyuki Shiga, said: ‘In doing good with this donation to the Usain Bolt Foundation, Nissan will help children in Jamaica do better as they strive to realise their dreams for the future.’
In October 2012, Usain Bolt was appointed Nissan’s honorary ‘Director of Excitement’ as a brand spokesman for the company’s new ‘WHAT IF_’ global brand campaign.
Better facilities
Commenting on the donation from Nissan, Bolt said: ‘My partnership with Nissan greatly benefits the work of my foundation.
‘This donation will help many kids get access to better facilities, play areas and educational materials in Jamaica. I am delighted to be working with Nissan to do this.’
The new owner of the ‘Bolt Gold Nissan GT-R’ from Australia said, ‘The Nissan GT-R just gets better and better and more refined each year, and the fact that this gold GT-R also celebrates the incredible achievements of the great Usain Bolt makes it something very special indeed.’