Ford Awards $55K to 10 Great Lakes High Schools for Winning Videos in Focus on Schools Program

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

• Winning school, Park Christian School, in Fargo, N.D., wins the grand prize of $10,000

• Nearly 200 Great Lakes area Ford dealerships joined with the same number of local schools to produce 160 videos detailing the features of the 2012 Ford Focus

• The program generated more than 6,500 "likes" on Facebook and more than 55,000 votes for student videos

Today Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) announced the 10 winners of the Focus on Schools contest which challenged high school students to create informative yet entertaining videos featuring the redesigned 2012 Ford Focus and its leading technologies. The winning school, Park Christian, in Fargo, N.D., will be presented with a $10,000 check later this month for earning the most votes for its video, "You Need to Focus."  Other winners, Lumen Christi High School (Jackson, Mich.), West Jessamine (Nicolasville, Ky) and Pendleton Heights (Anderson, Ohio), will receive their checks today.  See list below for check presentation dates for the remaining six winners.

"This program was an excellent opportunity to support local schools and allow kids to be creative in media arts while learning about our technologies and the new Focus," said Jim Farley, Ford vice president for Marketing, Sales and Service.

Great Lakes area Ford dealerships provided local high schools $500 to create their videos for a total of $100,000 invested in the Focus on Schools program. The top 10 winners received awards totaling $55,000. The videos were posted online and votes were cast for the top effort. The program received more than 6,500 "likes" on Facebook and more than 55,000 total votes for submitted videos.

To view the winning videos visit www.fordfocusonschools.com.  

In addition to raising much-needed revenue for schools, the program introduces Ford's redesigned 2012 Focus featuring cutting-edge technologies including:

• MyKey®, a system that allows parents to limit a vehicle's top speed and audio volume to encourage safe driving behavior in teens
• SYNC®, the fully integrated, in-vehicle voice-activated communications and entertainment system with 911 Assist™, Vehicle Health Report and GPS-based features including business search and call completion
• Active park assist, a technology that helps drivers position the vehicle for parallel parking and then steer it into a parking spot without touching the steering wheel

The 2012 Ford Focus delivers smart features, spirited performance and up to 40 mpg on the highway.

A total of 203 schools submitted videos, supported by 199 dealers from around the Great Lakes region. Here's a list of the top 10 winners, their videos, supporting dealerships and check presentation dates:

1. Park Christian of Fargo, N.D. ($10,000 with 4,954 votes) for "You Need to Focus" supported by Luther Family Ford. Check presentation; Sept. 24 at 3 p.m.
2. Cabrini Catholic of Allen Park, Mich. ($9,000 with 3,309 votes) for "Swap Your Ride" supported by Taylor Ford. Check presentation; Sept. 30 at 11 a.m.
3. Lumen Christi of Jackson, Mich. ($8,000 with 2,592 votes) for "Focus on Your Future" supported by Seymour Ford. Check presentation; Sept. 9, early evening
4. West Jessamine of Nicolasville, Ky. ($7,000 with 2,504 votes) for "Forever Ford" supported by Wildcat Ford. Check presentation; Sept. 9 at 7:20 p.m.
5. Pendleton Heights of Anderson, Ohio ($6,000 with 2,460 votes) for "Amazing What a Ford Focus Can Do for You" supported by Ford Autoworld. Check presentation; Sept. 9 at 7:20 p.m.
6. Waterford Kettering of Waterford, Mich. ($5,000 with 2,426 votes) for "Redefining the Classic" supported by Suburban Ford of Waterford. Check presentation; Oct. 4
7. Dalton of Dalton, Ohio ($4,000 for 2,425 votes) for "Stay Focused" supported by Maibach Ford. Check presentation; Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.
8. Columbus of Marshfield, Wis. ($3,000 with 2,372 votes) for "CCS Ford Focus (Fun for Everyone)" supported by V&H Automotive. Date and time to be determined for check presentation.
9. Brunswick of Brunswick, Ohio ($2,000 with 2,162 votes) for "Focus on Brunswick" supported by Liberty Ford.  Date and time to be determined for check presentation.
10. Villa Madonna Academy of Cincinnati, Ohio ($1,000 for 1,962 votes) for "Daydreaming" supported by Fuller Ford, Check presentation; Sept. 29 at 2 p.m.

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 166,000 employees and about 70 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's products, please visit www.fordmotorcompany.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company