Mississippi Dealers Send Relief Supplies to Help Staten Island Residents in Time of Need

DEARBORN, MI--Nov. 9, 2012:

• Ford dealers from the Hattiesburg, Miss. area are collecting 80 pallets full of canned goods, diapers, personal care items, blankets, batteries and bottled water to fill a semi-truck trailer bound for Dana Ford Lincoln in Staten Island, N.Y.
• Staten Island was hit particularly hard by Hurricane Sandy and these Mississippi Ford dealers are pitching in to help the Staten Island communities in their time of need

Ford dealerships from the Hattiesburg area in Mississippi are sending relief supplies to help Staten Island communities damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

Eighty pallets full of canned goods, diapers, personal care items, blankets, batteries and bottled water to fill a semi-truck trailer bound for Dana Ford Lincoln in Staten Island, N.Y., more than 1,000 miles away. These relief supplies will be provided to the residents of the area while the dealership will serve as a distribution center.

The four participating dealers -- Courtesy Ford (Hattiesburg), Pine Belt Ford (Purvis), Woolwine Ford (Collins) and Laurel Ford Lincoln (Laurel) are gathering the donated goods from the communities of Hattiesburg.

"We greatly appreciate the generosity and support from our brother and sister dealers in Mississippi," said Jim Cognetta, president of Dana Ford Lincoln. "We are so thankful for the kindness shown by the Ford dealer family, particularly in this time of need."

Hurricane Katrina remembrance

Jimmy Walker, president of Laurel Ford Lincoln, is coordinating the efforts of the Mississippi dealers.

Walker saw news accounts of the disaster and the anguish of the residents of New York, and recalled the need during Hurricane Katrina and the difficulty getting relief supplies to those in the area. His first step was to go to the local WalMart and purchase 2,000 blankets and ship to Dana Ford -- because he anticipated cold weather would soon hit the Northeast. Following that, he reached out to local Ford dealers in Mississippi. The response was and continues to be overwhelming.

Christian Services is helping to coordinate the effort in Mississippi and KLLM Transport Services is donating trucks, fuel and manpower to transport all of the donated items to the dealership in New York.

"This generous outpouring of support from the Ford family of dealers in Mississippi will help a great deal as the people of Staten Island continue to recover from the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with them," said Curt Skaluba, East Region manager of Sales, Parts and Service Operations for Ford Motor Company.

Ford offers relief

Ford Motor Company Fund and Ford employees donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross and its chapters to assist with disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. This donation is part of Ford's involvement in the 2012 Red Cross Disaster Responder Program. Ford Motor Company has partnered with the American Red Cross for more than 30 years.

Further, beyond the outpouring of support by Ford dealers, Ford Motor Company is offering customers affected by Hurricane Sandy $500 Bonus Cash savings off vehicle MSRP toward the purchase or lease of any eligible 2012 or 2013 model year Ford or Lincoln vehicle. The incentive is available to current residents of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast through January 2013.