Ford Drives Home the Importance of Education as Sponsor of the Jackie Robinson Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner
NEWS Contact: Edna Sims Bruce Tracy Walker 310-827-9727 313-657-7018 esppr@aol.com affiniti9@sbcglobal.net FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ford Drives Home the Importance of Education as Sponsor of the Jackie Robinson Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner · Company’s Support Helps Fund Four-Year College Scholarships · Award Motivates Althea Gibson/JRF Scholar Carolyn Wright Dearborn, MI – Ford Motor Company Fund reinforced its commitment to education as a key sponsor of The Jackie Robinson Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner for the second consecutive year. More than 500 people attended the event, which was held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. “Knowledge is power, and Ford Motor Company is committed to doing its part to help young people acquire all the resources they need to succeed,” said Sandra E. Ulsh, Ford Motor Company Fund president. “Ford commends The Jackie Robinson Foundation for its support of youth. We are pleased to support the scholarship fund and the foundation’s efforts to help young people realize their dreams of obtaining a college education.” Ford funds the Althea Gibson Scholarship, named after the first African American to win at Wimbledon. The award is one of the many four-year college scholarships the Foundation provides to academically gifted students of color with financial need so that they can attend the college of their choice. In addition to supporting the dinner, Ford hosted a private luncheon for Carolyn Wright, the Althea Gibson/Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar Class of 2008 Award. A graduate of the H-B Woodlawn Program in Arlington, Virginia, she is studying International Affairs at Harvard University. “As an Althea Gibson/Jackie Robinson Foundation scholar, I have found new motivation to discover the best in others and myself,” said Wright. “Coming together with such great minds to celebrate Jackie Robinson’s example is an honor and a blessing.” The evening’s festivities included a special ceremony commemorating Jackie Robinson’s posthumous receipt of the Congressional Gold Medal last week. The Foundation also presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to New York Congressman Charles B. Rangel and a ROBIE Award for Achievement in Industry to John A. Thain, chief executive officer of the New York Stock Exchange. Bill Cosby served as the Master of Ceremonies for the twenty-third consecutive year. Other notable guests included Robinson’s widow Rachel Robinson, his daughter Sharon Robinson, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, and former New York mayor David Dinkins. The Jackie Robinson Foundation was created to honor the life and legacy of legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson. He made history in 1946 when he signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers and ended decades of discrimination against African Americans in baseball. Since its inception in 1973, more than 930 students across the country have received scholarship awards from the foundation. Ford Motor Company Fund supports programs that enhance and enrich the communities where Ford Motor Company does business. Ford Motor Company Fund is committed to creating educational opportunities that stimulate creativity and promote cultural diversity. In 2004, Ford Motor Company Fund dedicated almost $80 million to educational initiatives, cultural sponsorships, performing arts events, and university scholarships and programs geared towards school children. For more information on programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund, visit www.ford.com.