Sunderland's Nissan car plant is helping the campaign to build a children's hospice for the city hit the fast lane.
The plant has donated a car to the Grace House North East Children's Hospice Appeal.
The flame-red Micra will be raffled to help move the charity one step closer to its appeal target of £3million, which will enable it to build and staff an eight-bed hospice in Sunderland.
Barbara Cranston, corporate fund-raiser, said: "Grace House is enormously grateful to Nissan for supporting us by donating this fabulous car.
"The build of the hospice is scheduled for spring 2008 and will be funded entirely by the public and companies such as Nissan, and to all of them we, on behalf of the children and families who will need to come to Grace House, would like to say thank you."
Danny Griffiths, Nissan personnel director, said: "After I heard that the hospice would be located just a couple of miles from this plant, I was convinced that Nissan should get involved.
"I am delighted to be able to present Grace House with this car and I hope it will prove useful to the Appeal's ongoing fund-raising efforts and in a small way, help the hospice to open and begin its vital work as soon as possible."
