- INFINITI honors Dan Lasko, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, with complimentary entry into the 123rd Boston Marathon.
- INFINITI sponsors the Boston Marathon for the second year in a row, and as part of this multi-year partnership, INFINITI will donate $10,000 to the Semper Fi Fund in celebration of the "Year of Giving Back."
- Leading the Boston Marathon runners to the finish line on April 15 will be the 2019 INFINITI QX50 luxury midsize crossover, featuring the world's first production VC-Turbo engine, which provides the power and strength of a sprinter with the efficiency and endurance of a marathon runner.
BOSTON – INFINITI today announced that Dan Lasko, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, will run courtesy of the luxury automaker in the world's premier distance running event, the 123rd annual Boston Athletic Association's (B.A.A.) Boston Marathon. For the second year in a row, INFINITI sponsors the Boston Marathon and the 2019 QX50 luxury midsize crossover will lead runners past the finish line.
"INFINITI is proud to again partner with the Boston Athletic Association and Semper Fi Fund for this year's Boston Marathon," said Tedros Mengiste, Regional Vice President, East Region for INFINITI USA. "This event recognizes some of our country's greatest heroes, and we are eager to see one of those heroes, Dan Lasko, cross the finish line."
Lasko enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on September 11, 2001 and served as a Corporal from 2001 to 2005. Lasko was later deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. On April 24, 2004, Lasko's convoy was ambushed, and his vehicle struck two improvised exploding devices, which ultimately cost him his left leg below the knee. Determined to stay active and not let his injury keep him from his passion for sports, Lasko made a full recovery and went on to complete multiple triathlons and marathons.
INFINITI also joins the B.A.A.'s commitment to giving back to the community. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the B.A.A.'s official charity program. As a part of this celebration, INFINITI will donate $10,000 to the Semper Fi Fund and invited local volunteers, U.S. Navy Chief John Morley and Wendy Lethin, Secretary, Board of Directors, Vice President, Community Outreach for Semper Fi Fund, to ride in the INFINITI lead vehicle during the marathon. Through both of their efforts in the Semper Fi Fund, Morley and Lethin bring countless resources to those in the armed forces.
"Everyone at the Fund is excited to be working with INFINITI for a second year for the 2019 Boston Marathon," said Semper Fi Fund President, CEO and Founder Karen Guenther. "Their support of our mission to provide urgently needed resources and support for combat wounded, critically ill and catastrophically injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families will touch a great many lives – lives that will be significantly and profoundly changed for the better because of their generosity."
The official lead vehicle of this year's Boston Marathon is the 2019 QX50, INFINITI's most advanced vehicle to date and embodies everything INFINITI stands for: beautiful design, advanced technology and empowering performance features. The luxury mid-size crossover features the world's first production-ready variable compression engine, the VC-Turbo, which provides the power and strength of a sprinter with the efficiency and endurance of a marathon runner. It combines the power of a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with the torque and efficiency of an advanced four-cylinder diesel engine.
More information on the INFINITI QX50 is available at www.infinitiusa.com.
Moving seamlessly between compression ratios, the VC-Turbo engine from INFINITI responds to the car's driving conditions and continuously adapts.
About the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs, including high performance athletes and running club. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. More than 60,000 runners will participate in B.A.A. events annually. The 123rd Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 15, 2019. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.
About INFINITI
INFINITI Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with representations in markets around the world. The INFINITI brand was launched in 1989. Its range of luxury automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, North America and China. INFINITI design studios are located in Atsugi-Shi near Yokohama, London, San Diego and Beijing. INFINITI will electrify its entire lineup from 2021 onward. The brand has been widely acclaimed for its daring design and world's first driver-assistance technologies. From the 2016 season, INFINITI is a technical partner of the Renault F1 Team, contributing its expertise in hybrid performance.
Find more information about INFINITI, its industry leading technologies and the all-new 2019 QX50 midsize luxury crossover at www.infinitiusa.com. You can also follow INFINITI USA on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
More information about INFINITI and its industry leading technologies can be found at http://www.INFINITI.com/. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
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Contact
Vanessa Bohlscheid
Senior Manager, INFINITI Product and Brand Communications
(646) 496-2791
vanessa.bohlscheid@infiniti.com
Paige Presley
Manager, INFINITI U.S. East Region Communications
(615) 725-6021
paige.presley@infiniti.com
