After dribbling for more hours than it took him to drive from his hometown of Plymouth, Mich., to Atlanta, Raymond Eisbrenner proved he could outlast the competition as the winner of the "Dribble for a Dodge" contest held at Morehouse College.
As the college basketball tournaments get underway, Dodge created its own brand of basketball madness to kick off National Truck Month and "No Charge HEMI" promotion by hosting a basketball dribbling endurance contest. The University of Michigan junior dribbled for 16 hours and 6 minutes to beat 25 other contestants to win an all-new 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab equipped with the legendary HEMI engine and two tickets to college basketball's final game.
In the spirit of sportsmanship, Eisbrenner gave the two tickets to the finals game to the second place dribbler, Atlanta's Anthony Locke, who also received a $250 gift card.
"I never thought that I would be the last person standing after checking out the tough competition," said Eisbrenner. "But I felt confident that my passion for basketball combined with my need for a new car would bounce me to the finish."
"March ushers in two very exciting events -- the start of the college basketball finals and the start of National Truck Month with `No Charge HEMI" promotion. `Dribble for a Dodge" was the perfect way to bring these two events together by giving basketball enthusiasts the opportunity to prove they"re as tough as a Dodge Ram and walk away with their own HEMI-equipped truck and two tickets to the championship game," said Michael Manley, Vice President - Sales Strategy and Dealer Operations, Chrysler Group. "But you don"t have to win a contest to get your own HEMI-equipped Ram. During March, every consumer who buys a Dodge Ram 1500 or Dodge Durango gets a HEMI at no charge."
Habitat for Humanity Scores New Truck Too
In addition to Eisbrenner driving away in a new Ram, Dodge surprised Atlanta Habitat for Humanity's Executive Director Larrie Del Martin with the donation of a 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 to support the organization's mission to build more than 50 homes in Atlanta this year.
"The Dodge Ram is such a surprise. Atlanta Habitat for Humanity is the second largest producer of Habitat homes in the United States," said Martin. "We don't want to spend the money we have on vehicles. We want to spend it on the houses, so this donation from Dodge is like a dream."
About Dribble for a Dodge
From basketball rookies and benchwarmers to all-stars, consumers registered online at www.DribbleforaDodge.com for the chance to play in the "Dribble for a Dodge" challenge. Contestants were chosen to test their toughness and endurance by dribbling HEMI-branded basketballs for as long as possible. Each contestant left the court with a HEMI-basketball and a "No Charge HEMI" basketball jersey.