Victory Motorcycles ‘Hometown Heroes’ Program Honors & Supports Military Personnel

| November 2, 2010 | 0 Comments

Victory Motorcycles has launched the “Hometown Heroes” program to honor military personnel and to collect personal items at Victory dealerships that Operation Gratitude will distribute to troops worldwide. In the end, one Hero will receive a free, new Victory motorcycle,

Throughout November, consumers are invited to nominate “Hometown Heroes” on the Victory Hometown Heroes website (www.victoryheroes.com). Those currently serving in the U.S. or Canadian military and all veterans are eligible to be nominated. All nominations will be open to public voting on the site, beginning in early November and concluding on December 5. Following the conclusion of public voting, the veteran or person currently serving in the military receiving the most votes will be selected to receive a free Victory motorcycle.

“We have the greatest respect for both those currently serving in the military and those who are veterans,” said Victory Motorcycles General Manager Steve Menneto. “So we are honoring ‘Hometown Heroes’ and teaming up with Operation Gratitude to brighten the lives of the brave men and women serving throughout the world.”

Victory also is inviting everyone to support military personnel who have answered the call of duty by dropping off items for Operation Gratitude at Victory dealerships from October 1 through November 30. Operation Gratitude will package and distribute these items to military personnel serving around the world during the holidays.

Each person who donates items for Operation Gratitude at a Victory dealership will receive a free “Victory Military Riders Pin.” All active military personnel and veterans also are invited to visit a Victory dealership to receive one of these pins as a sign of gratitude for their service.

Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer-based corporation, funded entirely by private donations. Items collected can include letters of appreciation, hygiene products, entertainment items such as CDs and DVDs, and toys such as Beanie Babies, which troops commonly use as goodwill gifts for children in the foreign countries where they’re deployed.

“Whether you’re a motorcycle enthusiast or you’ve never rode before in your life, Victory dealerships are your stop to show our troops that you care,” Menneto said. “We encourage everyone to join Victory in supporting Operation Gratitude to help make the holidays more special for military personnel who are away from home.”

Details about Operation Gratitude and the most popular care package items are available at the Hometown Heroes website and www.OperationGratitude.com.

The Hometown Heroes program and involvement with Operation Gratitude are part of Victory’s ongoing support for military personnel and veterans. Military personnel who ride Victory Motorcycles are featured regularly in Victory Rider magazine and on the Victory website (www.victorymotorcycles.com), and all military personnel and veterans are invited to pick up their free Victory Military Rider Pins from any Victory dealer.

About Polaris
Victory is the motorcycle division of Polaris. With annual 2009 sales of $1.6 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER^™, snowmobiles and Victory motorcycles for recreational and utility use and has recently introduced a new on-road electric powered neighborhood vehicle.

Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry, and one of the largest manufacturers of ORVs in the world. Victory motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive inroads into the cruiser and touring motorcycle marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.

Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII,” and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories is available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.