Ford of Ocala Sponsors Ocala Shriners Rodeo 2008

Ford of Ocala is very proud to be a major sponsor of such a worthy event

“This is a professional rodeo,” Public Relations Chairman Larry Koblentz said. “Rodeo cowboys get points toward national finals.”
The Ocala rodeo is a sanctioned Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) event. Events include bull riding, steer wrestling, bronco riding, team roping, barrel racing and tie down roping.
One of the high points of the Ocala Shrine Rodeo for members is the special rodeo for the nearly 200 physically challenged children who are sponsored by the Ocala club. These Marion County children are receiving or have received medical care at Shriners Tampa Orthopedic Hospital or the Shriners Burn Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
These children are invited to attend the rodeo, and about 30 are selected to participate in a series of rodeo events appropriate for their special needs. Kids are paired with a rodeo professional and guided through such events as goat riding, roping dummy steers, riding a hand-rocked bull or taking a real horseback ride.
“The kids all get a cowboy hat, bandanna, contestant number, lariat rope and T-shirt,” Koblentz said, adding that each also gets a trophy. “They’re all winners.”
In previous years, this special rodeo took place on Sundays before the regular performance, but members thought the heat would be less severe in late afternoon. This year the event is scheduled for Thursday at 4 p.m. and is free. Each year, a Rodeo Princess and Rodeo Buckaroo are selected from the young patients and will be introduced at this Thursday event. Last year’s princess was Megan Simons, and the buckaroo was Joshua Logsdon.
Because the rodeo is completely produced by the club, it keeps members working throughout the year, Koblentz explained. From hiring specialty acts to selecting concessions to obtaining sponsors to selling tickets, the club members do it all. They also oversee at least 200 volunteers at each performance.
“When we finish this rodeo, we’re already working on the next one,” he said. “All proceeds from the rodeo go to the Shriners children’s hospitals.”
The club has raised $1.2 million from the rodeos over the years, Koblentz said. He calls the work provided by the 400-member club a “labor of love” because proceeds go to such a worthy cause.
“There is no charge for treatment at any Shriners hospital,” Koblentz said.

Race of the Century

FORD AWARDED $10 MILLION ENERGY DEPARTMENT GRANT

FORD AWARDED $10 MILLION ENERGY DEPARTMENT GRANT TO ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT OF PLUG-IN VEHICLES

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 6 – Ford Motor Company has been awarded a $10 million grant by the U.S. Department of Energy for research, development, and demonstration of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
Ford received the grant for the continued development of a demonstration fleet of 20 PHEVs. The total project cost is $20 million, and the government will fund $10 million, or 50 percent, of the program.

In June, Ford delivered the first flexible fuel capable plug-in hybrid electric SUV to the Department of Energy. The Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid, capable of running on gasoline or E85, is part of a demonstration fleet Ford is developing in a partnership with Southern California Edison, the Electric Power Research Institute, DTE and Johnson Controls/Saft.
Advanced vehicle testing is underway on vehicles in California, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. The company delivered the first gasoline-only Escape PHEV to Southern California Edison in December 2007.
“As a leader in both hybrid and flexible fuel technology, Ford is well positioned to bring the two together in a plug-in vehicle. With plug-in hybrids, we have the potential to significantly change our transportation and energy future,” said Nancy Gioia, director of Ford’s Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs. “Our ultimate goal is to create plug-in vehicles that can be mass produced and meaningfully contribute to our nation's energy security.”
The Ford Escape PHEV is equipped with a 10 kilowatt advanced lithium ion energy battery supplied by Johnson Controls/Saft that stores enough electric energy to drive up to 30 miles at speeds of up to 40 mph. The battery works in tandem with a small four-cylinder engine.
Based on current estimates, the vehicle would emit 60 percent less CO2 than a conventional gasoline powered vehicle. The CO2 reduction would reach 90 percent if cellulosic ethanol is used in place of gasoline.

Ford Quality is Still Job One!

Today, everyone associated with Ford should take pride in the quality of the cars and trucks we build that resulted in the latest headlines on Consumer Reports Annual Car Reliability Survey. Among those headlines: “Ford Reliability Gains on Honda, Toyota,” from Bloomberg News, and “Ford Builds Most Reliable American Cars,” from The Detroit News.
The results from Consumer Reports further validate the quality story we at Ford have been telling for some time. Our efforts to design, build and launch with quality are paying off. As David Champion, director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, noted, “This has been a systematic, structural change within Ford.”
That structural change shows in the dedicated work by teams in manufacturing, product development, purchasing, marketing, sales and quality using disciplined, standardized processes to deliver significant quality gains. Despite the challenges of the current automotive climate, our teams have remained focused on the goal, to become the highest quality automotive manufacturer. We are well on our way to achieving that goal.
A total of 44 FLM vehicles / configurations earned average or better reliability ratings compared to 41 FLM vehicles / configurations in last year’s survey.
Some highlights from the Consumer Reports auto issue, which features the Ford Fusion on the cover with the caption, “Ford Fusion, top rating in Reliability.”
· Ford was singled out as on par with the Japanese automakers and the best of the domestics. The magazine writes: “Ford’s three nameplates – Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury – lead the domestic automakers and continue to pull away from the rest of Detroit."
· Almost all Ford products now carry average or better than average reliability ratings. The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan continue to rank among the most reliable family cars. The freshened Ford Focus sedan rated above average, with the magazine citing a vast improvement. The Ford F-150 2WD versions with V6 and V8 are rated better than average. The 2009 model has not yet been tested.
We all should be pleased with the survey results, but not surprised. We have set a high standard forourselves and our customers and we are making progress every day to deliver on that standard.

Get a New F-150 for less than $12,000!

Rebates and incentives are stronger than ever on this brand new 2008 Ford F-150! Take advantage of our lowest price ever on a new truck. Last month this truck was almost $14,000 but with factory rebates and dealer discounts you can drive away in a new Ford truck today!

The fine print:
Price is plus $499 admin fee, tax, and title. All rebates and incentives to be assigned back to dealer. Not combined with any other special offers. Price reflects special f.m.c.c customer incentives in special offer. Not combined with any other special offer. Only one per household. W.A.C.

We have a large selection available at this price but only for a limited time. Call 1.800.292.3338 or locally at 352.732.4800 for more details. Or write fordofocala@dagmail.com You can visit FordofOcala.com for this and other specials. You'll be glad you did!

$2.71 for Gasoline is a Bargain?

Well, I am a little excited that gas is less than $3.00 a gallon...

One of my cars is a hot rod Lincoln (1996 Towncar Executive) and it was costing me $80 a week to fill up and get back and forth to work and visit my horses at the farm. And that was up from $60 a week back when gas was closer to $2.00 a gallon. The extra $20 a week is killing me and when you figure the cost of food and horse feed is going up as well, there is no extra money for anything. I'm sure many of you are feeling the pinch as well.

The crazy thing about horse feed is the additional cost is due to the price of corn and grain which is tied to the government subsidies for Ethanol. My special feed for one of my horses has gone from about $10 a bag 5 years ago to almost $20 a bag now.

What gets me is that it takes about a gallon of gasoline to produce 1.33 gallons of ethanol. Then ethanol MPG is closer to 60% of regular gasoline. The gasoline I was buying at the truck stop was pure gasoline until last month. Now it has that "May contain up to 10 percent Ethanol" sticker and I've noticed a radical drop in gas mileage. My hot rod Lincoln would get up to 25 MPG on the highway and my combined driving computer always showed I was getting around 22 MPG no matter how I drove. So I figured that if I got 10% ethanol that would be 2 gallons of ethanol per tankful and roughly 12 MPG for those 2 gallons or a loss of 16 miles per tankful.

However, I have to drive extremely careful to achieve anywhere close to 20 MPG. If I don't pay attention I get closer to 19.5 MPG.

Now I know Ethanol is supposed to be greener and save the planet for our children but if I have to burn more gas (it looks like about 10% more, doesn't it?) to go the places I have to go, aren't I polluting even more?

And it's not like I'm someone who doesn't care about the environment. I don't do excessive driving. I make sure I stop on the way home to pick up groceries or supplies. 95% or more of my driving is to work and back or to care for my horses.

Which is why I am glad to see gas prices dropping in our area... $2.71 at my regular gas station and as low as $2.67 at some of the other ones along my route. I'm wondering if this is an economic meltdown or pre-election phenomenon or if this is the trend. Will it bring back the SUV or steer us away from better gas mileage vehicles? Which makes me proud to work for Ford Motor Company- we're working on improving gas mileage across the board. In fact, coming almost immediately is the new Escape with a new motor/tranny arrangement that will make it a 30 MPG SUV. And our Focus series is cutting edge American made technology that gets almost 40MPG (depending on how you drive and where) while looking good getting there.

Ford Donates during Difficult Times

CHICAGO, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Feeding America (formerly named America's Second Harvest) announced today that Ford Motor Company and Newman's Own will continue their longstanding commitment to combating rural hunger by extending their innovative and effective partnership with Feeding America called the "Partnership for Hunger Relief." This month, under the partnership, seven refrigerated trucks containing Newman's Own food will be donated to food banks that serve struggling rural communities across the country. In November, 100 million pounds of food will have been distributed nationwide under the partnership. The "Partnership for Hunger Relief" enables nutritious food such as meat, dairy and produce to be delivered via refrigerated trucks to remote communities which are often underserved. The announcement was made today by Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America.This year marks the eighth consecutive year of the "Partnership for Hunger Relief." The 75 Ford trucks previously donated have traveled a combined total of 3.4 million miles and distributed over 97 million pounds of food -- equivalent to over 76 million meals -- to rural areas in need. The "Partnership for Hunger Relief" not only focuses on the importance of supplying food to rural communities but supplying nutritious protein-based foods and produce that require refrigeration.Vicki Escarra said, "The economic downturn and the dramatic increase in fuel and food costs have made it extraordinarily difficult for our nation's food banks to meet the increase in demand. Rural areas are often underserved and throughout the last seven years, the 'Partnership for Hunger Relief' has provided tremendous relief to millions of families experiencing hunger. We could not he happier that Ford Motor Company and Newman's Own are continuing to support our efforts to feed millions of Americans.""The Partnership for Hunger Relief began eight years ago when Paul Newman asked me if Ford would join with his company and Feeding America in addressing the growing problem of hunger in rural America," said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. "While the effort has produced significant results, the need is even greater today, especially given the current economic environment.""Feeding America and Newman's Own are both about doing good through food. Thanks to our generous partner Ford Motor Company, we can expand with our alliance and help more people in struggling rural communities throughout the country." said Mike Havard, vice president, marketing Newman's Own Inc."Today's donation of seven additional Ford trucks to the Partnership for Hunger Relief brings our total to more than 80 vehicles on America's roads helping to serve the needs of people who are struggling to make ends meet," said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. "More work needs to done and Ford Motor Company remains committed to doing its part to address the hunger issue."The seven food banks receiving trucks this October are: The Second Harvest Food Bank of the Chattahoochee Valley in Columbus, Ga., Mid-Michigan Food Bank in Lansing, Second Harvest Food Bank of San Diego, The Food Bank of North Alabama in Huntsville, The Northern Illinois Food Bank in St. Charles, IL, The Southeast Missouri Food Bank in Cape Girardeau, MO, and The Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana in Monroe.Hunger among rural households is higher than the national average with an estimated 2.3 million rural households facing hunger. Ironically, many of these hungry families are in the very rural and farm communities whose productivity feeds the world and provides low-cost wholesome food to American consumers. Many people need to turn to a food bank or church pantry just to eat in the very same communities where the food is raised. Due to the economic downturn, it is imperative that extra food assistance is sent to remote communities who are underserved.According to the USDA report Household Food Security in the United States, 2006, 12 percent of all rural households are food insecure, an estimated 2.3 million households. The Feeding America study, Hunger in America 2006, found that 42.6 percent of the adult clients served by the network live in suburban or rural areas.This announcement falls on the heels of a troubling nationwide local impact survey conducted by Feeding America. The May 2008 survey of 180 food banks nationwide found that 99% of the food banks reported between a 15 percent and 20 percent increase in the number of people being served, compared to one year ago. 81 percent of the food banks reported that they are unable to meet the growing demand without having to dramatically reduce the amount of food given to each household. Rising food and fuel prices are cited as primary reasons why more individuals are turning to food banks.To learn more about rural hunger please visit: http://feedingamerica.org/learn_about_hunger/fact_sheet/rural_hunger.htmlAbout Feeding America (Formerly America's Second Harvest -- The Nation's Food Bank Network)Feeding America provides individuals and families facing hunger with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 25 million Americans each year, including 9 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks operate 63,000 agencies that address hunger through emergency food assistance and programs. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit www.feedingamerica.org.About Newman's OwnNewman's Own(R), Inc., founded on a lark by Paul Newman and his buddy A.E. Hotchner in 1982, is now (to our own surprise!), a leading (and growing) premium food company that offers more than 175 varieties of delicious all-natural food and beverage products. Based in Westport, CT, the charitable mission of Newman's Own is expressed in its Company motto: "Shameless exploitation in pursuit of the Common Good." The continuation of the company's charitable mission is reflected in the following statement that will appear on every package of Newman's Own products: The Newman's Own Foundation continues Paul Newman's commitment to donate all after tax net profits from this product and related royalties for educational and charitable purposes. Paul Newman and the Newman's Own Foundation have given over $250 million to thousands of charities worldwide since 1982.Visit www.newmansown.com for the nearest retailer/s that carry Newman's Own products and for recipe suggestions using Newman's Own products. Newman's Own(R) Organics, founded by Paul's daughter Nell Newman, offers a wide array of delicious organic products, www.newmansownorganics.com.About Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 228,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Feeding America

Ford Trucks are BIG in Texas!

NEWS

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

F-150 named one and only truck of Texas; new truck offers best capability, unsurpassed Fuel Economy

DALLAS, Oct. 19, 2008 – The new 2009 F-150 has been recognized as the one and only “Truck of Texas” by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) – the sixth consecutive year a Ford truck has won top honors.

Ford’s lineup of trucks also was named Truck Line of Texas, while the Ford Flex and Expedition King Ranch received top honors as CUV and SUV of Texas, respectively. Sweeping all four vehicle-centered top honors, Ford emerged the clear winner at this year’s TAWA Texas Truck Rodeo.

“This is high praise, especially the coveted ‘Truck of Texas’ top prize,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas. “Texas Auto Writers are the toughest truck critics because they know firsthand and truly appreciate how core truck customers really use their pickups.

“We’re honored that TAWA recognizes that the new F-150 offers consumers class-leading capability, unsurpassed fuel economy and durability that shows how closely we’ve been listening to our customers for the 31 years Ford trucks have been America’s favorite,” he added.

According to Harold Gunn, President of TAWA, this year’s competition was tighter than ever because all of the manufacturers are delivering outstanding trucks.

“‘Truck of Texas’ is really the most important award of its type in the industry,” said Gunn. “We love trucks down here, and we really use these vehicles everyday. And since we spend so much time in our vehicles, for us it’s not just about how the horse feels being towed, but how your butt feels sitting in the truck, too.”

On sale now, the new F-150 offers fuel economy that has improved an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup as a result of a wide-range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume three-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. At the same time, the new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other competitor can match.

“Earning the trust of so many truck customers during the past 31 years has taught us a lot about what they want and value from their F-150,” said Matt O’Leary, Ford F-150 chief engineer. “In the past, there was a tradeoff – more fuel economy meant less capability and vice versa. With the new F-150, we didn’t accept tradeoffs. We delivered capability and fuel economy, and that’s why the F-150 is the definitive full-size pickup on the market.”

Other Ford Motor Company vehicles winning top honors in their categories at the TAWA Rodeo include:
· Best Luxury Pickup: 2009 Ford F-150 King Ranch
· Best Full-Size CUV: 2009 Ford Flex
· Best Mid-Size CUV: 2009 Mazda CX9
· Best Luxury CUV: 2009 Lincoln MKX
· Best Mid-Size SUV: 2009 Ford Explorer
· Best Heavy Duty Pickup: 2009 Ford F-350 Super Duty Cabela’s Edition

Get the best deals before the model year ends!

Register to Win a 2009 Focus!

Going to school and need a hot ride that gets great gas mileage and turns heads?
Well, we're giving you an extra $500 for being in school and an exciting chance to win prizes including a brand new car. Register here to enter your email to win. You can get the full details there as well as other exciting prizes like a Trip to Hollywood!
To get the 411 (I know, 'It's so last century!) on a great ride, email fordofocala@dagmail.com or call Amanda Lewis @ 1.800.292.3338 today!