CHICAGO, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunger continues to affect the city of Chicago in a very real way -- more than 142,000 people in the area rely on the Greater Chicago Food Depository for food each week. For four weeks, AutoTrader.com will be doing its part to help "Drive Away Hunger" in and around the Chicagoland area.  In collaboration with the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Chevy Dealers, the Chicago Cubs, and relief pitcher Kerry Wood, AutoTrader.com will help to bring attention to the cause in the Chicago area by raising funds and collecting food for the Food Depository and neighboring food banks in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.

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The "Drive Away Hunger" program was created by AutoTrader.com last year in Atlanta, and this year, it has been expanded to include both the Atlanta and Chicago communities.

"We saw great success with the Drive Away Hunger program in Atlanta last year and expect to see similar success in the great city of Chicago this year," said AutoTrader.com Director of Community Relations Michele Blondheim. "We have always been committed to making a difference in communities across the country, and we are happy to join together with our partners in the Cubs and Chevy to help drive away hunger in Chicago."

Now through Sept. 17, consumers can donate cans of food at participating Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Chevrolet dealerships. Consumers who bring 10 cans of food to these dealerships will receive a free ticket voucher to the Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers game on Sept. 20. Additionally, consumers can test-drive new Chevrolet cars at these participating dealerships, and for every test drive, AutoTrader.com will donate $10 to the Food Depository. Anyone who test drives a new car will also have a chance to win a Cubs VIP experience at the Sept. 20 game.

"I have always believed that Chicago has a big heart, and I have no doubt that we can stand together with AutoTrader.com, local Chevy dealers and the Chicago Cubs to help bring hunger relief to the individuals and families who need it most in our community," said current Chicago Cubs relief pitcher and community advocate Kerry Wood. "On behalf of The Wood Family Foundation, I look forward to seeing the residents in the city of Chicago help us in this effort to drive away hunger."

The program will culminate at Wrigley Field on Sept. 20 before the Cubs vs. Brewers game. On that day, the Food Depository will have collection food bins in front of the stadium for people to make final donations, and representatives from AutoTrader.com, the Chevrolet dealers and the Cubs will announce the tally of food collected and award the financial donation total to the Food Depository.

"The need for food assistance is growing, and times continue to be challenging for the people in our community," said Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO of the Food Depository. "We're grateful to AutoTrader.com, our local Chevrolet dealerships, the Chicago Cubs and Kerry Wood for their support and look forward to the impact that the Drive Away Hunger program will have on generating additional awareness of the issue and raising donations to help us meet the needs of those who face hunger in our community."

Last year's Drive Away Hunger campaign in Atlanta raised tens of thousands of dollars and collected over 11,500 pounds of food for the area. The program was extended from two weeks to four weeks this year, and is taking place in both Atlanta and Chicago.

For official rules, terms and conditions, more information and participating dealerships, please visit www.autotrader.com/driveawayhunger.

About AutoTrader.com

Atlanta-based AutoTrader.com, created in 1997, is the Internet's ultimate automotive marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private sellers and is a leading online resource for auto dealers, individuals and manufacturers to advertise and market their vehicles to in-market shoppers. The company also provides a robust suite of software tools for dealers and manufacturers to help them manage and market their vehicle inventory and display advertising on the Internet. AutoTrader.com continues to grow key business metrics, including revenue, profitability and site traffic. Today, AutoTrader.com attracts more than 15 million unique monthly visitors who utilize the site to review descriptions, photos and videos of vehicles for sale; research and compare vehicles; review pricing and specials; and read auto-related content like buying and selling tips and editorial coverage of major auto shows and automotive trends. AutoTrader.com operates two other auto marketing brands, AutoTraderClassics.com and AutoTraderLatino.com. AutoTrader.com also owns used vehicle management software company vAuto, Kelley Blue Book (Kbb.com), HomeNet Automotive, a leading provider of online inventory management and merchandising solutions for the automotive retail industry and VinSolutions, a leading provider of end-to-end solution platforms for dealers.  AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Providence Equity Partners is a 25 percent owner of the company and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor. For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.

About the Greater Chicago Food Depository

The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago's food bank, is a nonprofit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community. The Food Depository distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters to 678,000 adults and children in Cook County every year. Last year, the Food Depository distributed 69 million pounds of nonperishable food and fresh produce, dairy products and meat, the equivalent of 140,000 meals every day. The Food Depository's programs and services for children, older adults and the unemployed and underemployed address the root causes of hunger. For more information, log onto chicagosfoodbank.org or call 773-247-FOOD.

About the Wood Family Foundation

Cubs pitcher, Kerry Wood, and his wife Sarah launched the Wood Family Foundation in June 2011 to improve the lives of children in and around Chicago by raising funds and awareness for children's charities and the causes they support. It raises funds through events, sponsorships and donations. For more information, please visit www.WoodFamilyFoundation.org.

SOURCE AutoTrader.com