Exclusive | Annoyingly catchy Kars4Kids jingle gets new life thanks to courts ruling

Love it or hate it, California listeners won’t be escaping the Kars4Kids jingle anytime soon.A California appeals court has temporarily blocked a lower-court order that would have forced the charity to pull or overhaul its ads, allowing the commercials to keep airing while the legal fight plays out.In a June 4 order, the Fourth Appellate District granted Kars4Kids’ petition for a writ of supersedeas and stayed an injunction issued by an Orange County judge.The court ruled that the injunction and all other proceedings in the case will remain on hold pending resolution of the appeal or further order of the court.The decision is a major win for Kars4Kids, whose catchy ads had been on the verge of disappearing from California airwaves after a judge found the organization misled donors about where their money was going.“Kars4Kids applauds today’s court ruling allowing its ads to continue airing in California while the appeals process continues,” spokesperson Wendy Kirwan said in a statement to The California Post.“Kars4Kids’ programs benefit a wide array of children and teenagers in California and beyond.The uninterrupted airing of its ads will enable the charity to continue funding its programs for children and families.”The appeal stems from a May 8 ruling by Orange County Superior Court Judge Gassia Apkarian, who found that Kars4Kids violated California false advertising and unfair competition laws by failing to disclose that donations primarily fund Orthodox Jewish programs affiliated with Oorah Inc., a New York- and New Jersey-based outreach organization.The lawsuit was filed by California resident Bruce Puterbaugh, who said he donated a vehicle after repeatedly hearing the charity’s advertisements and believed the proceeds would benefit underprivileged children in California.According to the ruling, the $250 generated from his donated vehicle instead went to programs connected to Oorah.During the trial, Kars4Kids chief operating officer Esti Land...