Zurich Direct Underwriters donates $10,000 to GAAS for scholarships

Has the Grinch finally stolen Christmas? Not exactly, says Zurich, one of the world's largest property-casualty insurance companies. Sure, the company has decided to skip the tradition of sending holiday greeting cards to its customers. But that doesn't mean the company isn't spreading holiday cheer. On the contrary, Zurich Direct Underwriters — a business unit with a highly specialized focus on the North American automotive industry — is donating $10,000 to fund scholarships awarded through the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS).

"Zurich prides itself on the relationships we have established with our customers, and we believe that they support our decision to donate money to this worthy cause instead of sending them a holiday card this year," says Tom Bradley, CEO of Zurich Direct Underwriters. "This decision is another example of Zurich's commitment to doing what we can to help ensure the next generation of qualified technicians for the automotive aftermarket industry is properly trained and educated."

This is the second donation from Zurich to fund GAAS scholarships in 2007. In late October, the company donated $10,000 to the scholarship fund. The scholarships are awarded to young adults who want to become qualified technicians in the automotive aftermarket industry. Since GAAS began the program in 1996, more than 1,300 scholarships have been awarded to qualified applicants.

For more information about Zurich Financial Services, visit the company's Web site.