Yamaha "Nice Ride" Donation Program for guide dog training now in 20th year 2007 Donations Presentation Ceremony held at the Yamaha Fan Booth in Japan GP

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and its sales company Yamaha Motorcycle Sales Japan Co., Ltd. (YMSJ) announce the 2007 results of its Yamaha "Nice Ride" Donations Program that was started in 1989. The donations collected during the 2007 program period totaled of ¥6,879,573, and the cumulative 19-year total reached ¥70,097,238. On September. 27, 2008, the 2007 donations were presented to representatives of the Japan Guide Dog Association (JGDA) in a donation ceremony at the Yamaha Fan Booth of the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan, round 15 of the MotoGP championship series held at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Tochigi Prefecture.
Attending the donation ceremony were guide dog owner Ms. Sumie Katayama and her dog Karrin, Mr. Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, manager of the JGDA, Mitsuaki Matsuo, President of YMSJ and the Yamaha representative rider now participating in the MotoGP series, Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha Team). Yamaha presented its donation program records and received a certificate of appreciation in recognition of its activities from Mr. Yamaguchi.
The Yamaha "Nice Ride" Donations Program was begun under the slogan of "Let's help the visually challenged get guide dogs so they can walk the streets with confidence." Donations have been collected from our customers at the nationwide Yamaha motorcycle dealerships as well as at the various Yamaha events like races. Donations have also been received from Yamaha riders and race officials, Yamaha owners' club members, stockholders and others. 2008 represents the memorable 20th year of this donation program and as we continue it in the future we at Yamaha ask for your kind ongoing support.

(From left) V. Rossi, guide dog owner Ms. Katayama and her dog Karrin, Mr. Yamaguchi of the JGDA, M. Matsuo of YMSJ

Mr. Yamaguchi: "For an organization like ours that depends on donations from many people, we are deeply grateful for Yamaha's donation program, not only for the amount of money it brings in but also for the fact that they have continued it for 20 years now and during that time have called on their dealers and many others and given a large number of people the chance to learn about the donation program for guide dog training. Thanks to this support we have steadily been able to increase the number of guide dogs, and we will continue to use people's kind donations to train as many dogs as we can."

M. Matsuo: "We appreciate the support and understanding we have received from so many people over the past 19 years. As the program now enters its momentous 20th year, we would like to renew our dedication to contribute to the training of as many dogs as possible, and we ask for your ongoing cooperation."

V. Rossi: "Each year I have been participating with Yamaha in this "Nice Ride" programs and I think it is a very important and meaningful charity. I hope that more and more people will continue to make donations to it in the years to come."

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and its sales company Yamaha Motorcycle Sales Japan Co., Ltd. (YMSJ) began the Yamaha "Nice Ride" Donations Program (Sponsor: Japan Guide Dog Association) in 1989 as a program to contribute to society by supporting the training of guide dogs for the visually challenged, and now in 2008 the program has entered its 20th year. (Yamaha "Nice Ride" Donations Program website http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/mc/world/link/nice_ride/)

At the time this program was first undertaken, Japan had far fewer guide dogs available for the visually challenged than countries like the U.S. and Europe where the use of guide dogs has an established tradition. This was due to a lack of information about guide dogs and interest in them by the society at large, as well as the poor financial situation of organizations that trained these dogs. The Japan Guide Dog Association (JGDA), which is the recipient of the donations from Yamaha's "Nice Ride" program, was also dependent on private donations from charities at the time.

In its search for ways to contribute to society as a member of the transportation industry, Yamaha approached the JGDA, after learning about the need for more guide dogs, and offered to begin a donation campaign. That was the start of the Yamaha "Nice Ride" Donation Program.

Since then, we have placed donation boxes in Yamaha motorcycle dealerships nationwide as well as soliciting donations at events around the country and at race venues. These efforts have helped raise consciousness of guide dogs among motorcycle owners and the society at large and resulted in many donations. The program has also won the support and participation of Yamaha race riders and race officials, Yamaha owners' club members, our stockholders and others. Donations from all these people have helped bring the total donations from the Yamaha "Nice Ride" program for these 19 years to over ¥70,000,000.

The 2008 Yamaha "Nice Ride" Donations Program period will be from July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009. We solicit donations at Yamaha motorcycle dealerships nationwide, at events around the country and at race venues as well as conducting charity activities like auctions at various events. We also seek donations from the general public for which a special bank account has been established as show below.