Ford Nearly Doubles Awards for the 2012 Heart Behind the Oval Community Challenge

Ford Nearly Doubles Awards for the 2012 Heart Behind the Oval Community Challenge

• Ford Motor Company awarded a total of $26,000 to 12 contest winners for the 2012 Heart Behind the Oval Community Challenge, nearly double the announced prize amount of $15,000

• Contest entries were so inspiring that Ford decided to select seven additional winners

• For the Heart Behind the Oval Community Challenge, high school seniors and college students nationwide were challenged to submit community improvement projects via Facebook for a chance to win scholarship and grant funds

DETROIT, Feb. 14, 2013 – Ford Motor Company announced the 12 winning entries for the 2012 Heart Behind the Oval Community Challenge, a contest held on the Ford Blue Oval Scholars Facebook page. The contest challenged high school seniors and college students nationwide to showcase how they are working to improve their communities and outline what more they could accomplish with additional funding.

Ford awarded a total of $26,000 in college scholarships and grants for future service projects. The awards went to 12 students, while the program had been designed for five.

“We were moved by what respondents shared in the 2012 Heart Behind the Oval Community Challenge,” said Mike Schmidt, director, Education and Community Development, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Many high school seniors and college students are making a profound impact on their communities.”

This year’s Grand Prize winners, selected by public voting, receive a $2,500 scholarship and a $2,500 project grant. They include Natalia Alvarez (San Diego, CA), Guiterrez Lucierto (San Diego, CA) and Tyson Gersh (Ann Arbor, MI). Two Wild Card winners, selected by a Ford Motor Company judging panel, receive a $1,000 scholarship and a $1,000 project grant. They are Stephanie Salvade (Detroit, MI) and Sam Appel (Lansing, MI). The seven surprise winners receive a $500 scholarship and a $500 project grant. They are Amanda Finch (Lafayette, IN), Chelsi Copes (Chesaning, MI), Shelby Wilson (Belleville, MI), Darin McLeskey, (Pinckney, MI), Daniel Gyomory, (Marlette, MI), Emily Fisher, (Bloomington, IN) and Jaeleen Davis (Saginaw, MI).

The winners’ community improvement projects are scheduled in cities ranging from Detroit to San Diego. For more information about the contest winners, scholarships and future contests, visit the Ford Blue Oval Scholars Facebook page, or visit http://www.fordscholars.org.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 172,000 employees and about 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.