Ford Triples Support Of Breast Cancer Research And Awareness With $1.8 Million Raised In 2008

* Ford’s 2008 Warriors in Pink campaign generated more than $1.8 million in donations for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, nearly tripling last year’s efforts
* Donations help fund important research and community outreach programs aimed at saving lives and ending breast cancer forever
* Ford’s Warriors in Pink campaign has helped raise awareness about breast cancer through unique marketing efforts with Lifetime’s “Army Wives,” NBC’s “Kath & Kim,” and Reader’s Digest magazine

DEARBORN, Mich. – Pam Ruthven, of Beverly Hills, Mich., plans to give a dear friend a very meaningful gift this holiday season – a beautiful woven scarf from Ford’s Warriors in Pink apparel line.

“One of my very good friends was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago, and she got through it,” Ruthven said. “Every year we exchange Christmas presents, and this year I wanted to give her something that had special meaning as opposed to just another trinket.”

All of the net proceeds from Warriors in Pink merchandise – including the scarf that Ruthven bought for her friend – support Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the fight against breast cancer.

“The scarf is really pretty, and I knew that the money would go to support breast cancer research,” Ruthven said. “That makes it very special.”

This year, thanks to the generosity of Ruthven and thousands of others like her, Ford’s Warriors in Pink campaign – which includes sales of the Warriors in Pink apparel, sales of the 2009 Limited Edition Mustang with Warriors in Pink package and affiliate contributions – generated more than $1.8 million in donations to Komen, nearly tripling last year’s efforts.

“By honoring the determination of those fighting the disease and donating to the cause Ford will continue to support Komen for the cure as we all work together to end breast cancer,” said Connie Fontaine, manager, Ford Brand Content and Alliances.

In addition to the Warriors in Pink initiative, Ford is a national series sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

According to Karen White, director, Corporate Relations, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Ford’s support of Komen is critically important.

“The funding that Ford provides enables us to do the groundbreaking research that we know needs to be done, and it supports national community outreach and awareness-building campaigns, like Circle of Promise, which targets the African American population, and Komen on the Go, which is a mobile outreach program aimed at young women and the needs of the medically unserved,” White said.

Here are just a few examples of the impact of Komen’s research:

* Newer anti-hormonal drugs called aromatase inhibitors, which can keep cancers from recurring, are now being tested to prevent the disease. Komen funds helped Dr. Angela Brodie pioneer the discovery of aromatase inhibitors.
* Dr. Joe Gray, who won the 2007 Komen Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction, used seed money from Komen to develop new techniques in the testing of drugs now being prescribed for other diseases to see if they might be useful in treating or preventing breast cancer.
* Komen awarded two grants totaling $3 million to researchers at Yale University and Wayne State University who are studying ways to determine which women with ductal carcinoma in situ need treatment and which may not.

In addition to funding for research, White says one of the intangibles that Ford’s support provides is much-needed exposure for the cause.

“Ford helps us elevate the conversation surrounding breast cancer and create awareness among the masses,” she said. “Through some very unique marketing opportunities -- like integrations with ‘Army Wives,’‘Kath & Kim,’and Reader’s Digest -- Ford is helping us bring our message to the public, and that is incredibly valuable to us.”

When Ford partnered with Lifetime Television’s highest-rated television series “Army Wives” for a special integration that included a breast cancer awareness storyline and cast members in a national print, online and broadcast advertising campaign for the limited edition “Army Wives” Warriors in Pink apparel, purchases of merchandise totaled more than $120,000 over a two-day period.

Ford Warriors in Pink partnered with NBC’s new hit comedy “Kath & Kim” on several initiatives to help raise breast cancer awareness, including a special integration episode that aired October 16 and a national print advertising campaign featuring stars Molly Shannon and Selma Blair in Warriors in Pink apparel.

And in a first-ever partnership, Ford and Reader’s Digest teamed up to support the “Beautiful Warriors” campaign. More than 650 entries were submitted via a dedicated Web site, doubling the in-book nomination promotion for the campaign, and three selected breast cancer survivors told their stories in the December 2008 issue of the magazine.

“The war against breast cancer is not over until we end the disease,” said Fontaine. “At Ford, we are committed to continue the fight.”

For more information about Ford Warriors in Pink, please visit www.fordcares.com.

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About Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, which helped launch the global breast cancer awareness and education movement. Today, Race for the Cure is on of the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Race for the Cure, the foundation has invested nearly $1 billion to fulfill that promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-800 I’M AWARE.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 224,000 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.