* Ford Motor Company's 2007 commitment includes substantial support of
National FFA events, and $1,000 scholarships for up to 700 local FFA
members
* Ford has supported FFA since the F-Series was first introduced in 1948,
and has contributed more than $3 million in FFA scholarships since 1997
* FFA estimates that agriculture is the number one employer in the U.S.,
accounting for one out of five U.S. jobs; Ford F-Series trucks are the
number one selling truck in America, and play an integral role in the
agricultural industry
INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, Ford Motor
Company (NYSE: F) made the first-ever commitment of $1 million in annual
support in the history of the National FFA Foundation (formerly the Future
Farmers of America). In 2007, Ford Motor Company will provide substantial
support for the 80th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis and the FFA
Washington Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. In addition, Ford has
committed to a tenth year of supporting the Built Ford Tough collegiate
scholarship program, which will award up to 700 FFA members with a $1,000
college scholarship in 2007.
Ben Poore, Ford Truck Group marketing manager, made the commitment at
the 79th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis: "This commitment builds
on almost six decades of Ford support of the FFA. Ford continues to support
the FFA because we see a clear value in the organization's development of
the future leaders of American agriculture, businesses and communities."
Ford has supported the National FFA Foundation since the first F-Series
truck was introduced in 1948, and has sponsored the Built Ford Tough
collegiate scholarship program since 1997. The program, equally funded by
Ford Motor Company and Ford dealers, has awarded more than $3 million in
scholarships to more than 3,000 FFA members.
"We are thrilled to welcome Ford as our first million-dollar annual
sponsor, and as FFA's premier sponsor for 2007," says Jan Ferris, FFA
Marketing and Sales Development manager. "Ford has a long history of
supporting the organization, and is already the largest contributor of
scholarships to the FFA. With this generous commitment, Ford will continue
to positively impact the lives of FFA members."
For Ford, supporting the FFA offers two distinct benefits. First, Ford
truck sales are inextricably connected to the success of the agricultural
industry. Just as agriculture is the largest employer in the U.S., F-Series
is the best-selling pickup in America -- for 29 consecutive years.
"Visit any local farm or the national FFA convention, and you can see
that trucks -- particularly F-Series -- play an integral role in the
agricultural industry," says Poore. "Ultimately, a part of Ford Truck's
success -- and our 29 years of sales leadership -- is tied to the success
of agriculture. We want to help these future leaders to succeed, and to
become our customers from the start of their careers to the end -- just
like many of their parents and grandparents."
The second benefit of Ford's long-standing support of the National FFA
Foundation and collegiate scholarship program is the strong, lasting
relationships it fosters between these future agribusiness leaders and both
the Ford brand and their local Ford dealer. Each Built Ford Tough
scholarship is equally funded by Ford Motor Company and Ford dealers who
sponsor scholarships through their local high school FFA chapter. Members
submit their scholarship application to the chapter's sponsoring dealer for
approval before the applications are sent to the national FFA office for
final judging and selection. As a result, the FFA members get to personally
meet -- and thank -- the dealer that is helping fund their college
education.
"We have been part of the program since it started," says Mike Meurer,
general manager of Southway Ford in San Antonio, "and have stacks of
letters from FFA members, thanking us for the help to fulfill their goals.
Those relationships have led to sales, both from the students' parents and
from students buying their first new car or truck out of college. But, the
biggest benefit for us is the satisfaction of getting to know these amazing
kids, and helping them to become stand-up citizens."
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