UAW-FORD LOUISVILLE EMPLOYEES SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER TO LESS FORTUNATE

* Employees at Louisville Assembly Plant and Kentucky Truck Plant spent more than $225,000 to provide a brighter Christmas season to more than 1,000 children from surrounding counties.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Dec. 17, 2004 - UAW Local 862 and Ford Motor Company are teaming up with Kentucky Truck Plant (KTP) and Louisville Assembly Plant (LAP) employees to continue an annual tradition of giving back to the community during the holiday season.

This year, employees at LAP and KTP spent more than $225,000 to provide a brighter Christmas season to more than 1,000 children from surrounding counties.

Kentucky Truck Plant Employees "Sharing the Blessing" KTP employees will hold their fourth annual "Sharing the Blessing" program today. Approximately 500 children from the Home of the Innocents; Jefferson, Oldham, Spencer and Shelby county schools in Kentucky; and Milltown, English and New Albany schools in Indiana were "adopted" by teams of employees. UAW/Ford KTP Family Service & Learning Center coordinated more than 100 volunteers to support the event.

Employees purchased gifts for the adopted children and invited them to the plant for a series of holiday parties. Activities include a magic show, Christmas caroling, a holiday meal, gifts and a visit from "Santa." Meijers Department store made a generous $5,000 donation to purchase supplies and toys.

There are three separate celebrations during KTP's A, B and C crews. A and B crews hosted activities on Thursday, December 16 and C crew is celebrating the holidays with area children today.

KTP employees spent approximately $125,000 this year to brighten the Christmas holiday for some very deserving children in the Louisville and Southern Indiana area.

Louisville Assembly Plant Employees Continue 21-Year Tradition LAP employees will sponsor the plant's annual "Adopt-A-Child" program. This year marks the 21st anniversary of this program; employees have helped make a brighter holiday for more than 10,000 area children over the past two decades. This year's festivities will be held at LAP on Thursday, Dec. 23 during two sessions.

Approximately 500 children will enjoy visits with employees on the plant floor, a holiday meal, a chance to sing their favorite Christmas carols on a karaoke machine and a show by local puppeteers. Both LAP parties will end with a visit by "Santa" (retired employee Bill Fox), who will bring gifts for the children to take home.

LAP employees donated more than $100,000 this year to buy presents for children from Bullitt, Jefferson, Nelson, Shelby and Hardin counties in Kentucky and Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties in Indiana.

Lear Seating, a supplier to the plant, also "adopted" 50 children for the holiday season.

Ford Motor Company is the world's second-largest automaker with approximately 350,000 employees and operations in more than 200 markets on six continents. It has more than 100 plants in 25 countries. Its automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo, and automotive-related services include Ford Credit, Hertz and Quality Care.