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Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company's involvement with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) began in 1983 when Ford hosted a JDRF walk fund-raiser at the Research & Engineering Center in Dearborn. That event continued annually at Ford until 1990, when JDRF merged a few smaller walk sites into one local walk site at the General Motors Tech Center in Warren, Michigan.

Since the 1998 inception of the employee-driven Walk team, now known as the Ford Global Walk Team, over $20 Million has been raised through parking spot raffles, auctions, job-switch drawings, sneaker sales, jeans days, bake sales, dunk tanks, golf tournaments and of course, Walk to Cure Diabetes donations. Innovation has always been the name of the game, and continues to thrive as volunteers gain steam each year.

Ford Motor Company is the largest corporate sponsor of JDRF and the only international sponsor. Ford has been presented with the JDRF Presidents Award for six consecutive years -- receiving recognition as the Top Corporate Sponsor in the world, a prestigious honor the company holds in high esteem.

From Left: Cynthia, Albert and Edsel B. Ford II at the 2006 JDRF Walk To Cure Diabetes at the GM Tech Center in Warren, MI.

In 1998, Ford organized a formal walk team with Edsel B. Ford II as the Corporate Team Chair and the team raised over $180,000 for JDRF at three sites in Southeastern Michigan. The following year, the first "global" walk team was established and raised over $760,000 at 11 sites worldwide.

Over the years, the team has grown by leaps and bounds and expanded to include many national partners that currently include BP, Mazda, WPP and UAW.

In 2006, more than $3.16 million was raised to fund critical JDRF research, surpassing the $3 million mark for the fourth year in a row. The Team continues to grow even more resolute in the crusade to find a cure for diabetes. The $20 million plus contribution to JDRF was achieved in only nine years.

Trevor Negus and Gary Appleton celebrate their success at the 2006 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes in Southampton, England.		Ford Global Walk Team supporters cross the finish line in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.		Ford Team members in London pause for a photo under the balloon arch on a beautiful Walk Day!
The Ford Team in Omaha, NB enjoys the sunshine at Elmwood Park in Omaha on August 11, 2007.		The Ford Global Walk Team "had a ball" at their Walk in Orlando this year!

Detroit Street Rods Raises $200K for Diabetes Research - Read the press release.
Tot Rods Roll in Big at Monterey Sports & Classics Auction - Read the press release.

The 2007 Ford team is raising funds in 47 locations in 11 countries and is committed to the mission of JDRF, a mission that is leading to a cure for diabetes.

2007 Ford Global Walk Team Corporate Walk Sites

Albuquerque, NM
Ann Arbor, MI
Atlanta, GA
Birmingham, ENG
Bordeaux, FRA
Boston, MA
Buffalo, NY
Chicago, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Cleveland, OH
Cologne, DEU
Colorado Springs, CO

Copenhagen, DNK
Dallas, TX
Edmonton, Canada
Genk, BLG
Greenville, SC
Henderson/Las Vegas, NV
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Irvine, CA
Kansas City, MO
Kuala Lumpur, MYS
Lima, OH

London, ENG
Louisville, KY
Melbourne, AUS
Memphis, TN
Mesa/Phoenix, AZ
Minneapolis, MN
Nashville, TN
Oakville, CAN
Oklahoma City, OK
Omaha, NE
Orlando, FL
Philadelphia, PA

San Antonio, TX
Sao Paulo, BRA
Somerset, NJ
Southampton, ENG
South Bend, IN
Spokane, WA
Tampa, FL
Tulsa, OK
Valencia, ESP
Warren, MI
Windsor, CAN