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Ford Motor Company Sponsors Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic
 Thanks in part to the support of Ford Motor Company, more than 450 disabled veterans are expected to ski the Rocky Mountains at the 22nd National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass Village, Colo., near Aspen, from March 30 - April 4. Recently wounded veterans from the War on Terror will participate in the event, which is the largest annual rehabilitation event of its kind in the world.
The clinic is open to all U.S. military veterans with spinal cord injuries or disease, visual impairments, certain neurological conditions, orthopedic amputations or other disabilities, who receive care at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities.
During the six-day program, veterans will learn adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing and be introduced to a variety of other adaptive activities and sports, such as rock climbing, scuba diving, snowmobiling and sled hockey. The U.S. Secret Service will also teach a course on self-defense for people with disabilities.
For 13 years, Ford Motor Company and its philanthropic arm, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, have been proud to sponsor the event. Ford Motor Company’s relationship with Disabled American Veterans (DAV) began in 1922, when Henry Ford personally organized a cross-country caravan to transport veterans to the 2nd National Convention of the Disabled American Veterans of the World War. Today, Ford continues this legacy by sponsoring many worthwhile and life-changing programs supported by the DAV.
Ford provides funding for the Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship, which encourages volunteerism at VA hospitals. Ford has created a legacy of support for veterans by donating vehicles to the DAV’s Transportation Network, which provides free transportation for veterans needing care at VA hospitals throughout the nation. Ford Motor Company has provided 125 vehicles to the network and has provided many, many more for the program at extremely discounted rates.
"The partnership between Ford Motor Company and the DAV has a long and rich history,” said Jim Vella, President of Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “We are pleased to support the DAV and the Department of Veterans Affairs in helping those who have so honorably served our country.”
“Since the days of the great Henry Ford, Ford Motor Company has been the foremost corporate advocate of disabled veterans,” said Arthur H. Wilson, DAV’s National Adjutant. “Ford’s continued support of the clinic shows the long term commitment they’ve made with the veterans who’ve served and sacrificed for our country.”
The VA (www.va.gov) is a government agency that runs 1,300 health care facilities for veterans across the United States. DAV (www.dav.org) is a nonprofit, Congressionally chartered veterans service organization with a membership of more than 1.3 million wartime disabled veterans. The Winter Sports Clinic provides participants with a full range of sports, recreation and educational opportunities.
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services is committed to creating opportunities that promote corporate citizenship, philanthropy, volunteerism and cultural diversity for those who live in the communities where Ford does business. Established in 1949 and made possible by Ford Motor Company profits, Ford Motor Company Fund supports initiatives and institutions that foster innovative education, auto-related safety, and American heritage and legacy. National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st century learning experiences, and Driving Skills for Life, a teen-focused auto safety initiative.
The Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005, continues Ford's legacy of caring worldwide. Through the Volunteer Corps, salaried employees, union members, retirees and their families participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities.
For more information on programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, visit www.ford.com.
For more information on the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, visit www.wintersportsclinic.com.
Download Press Release (pdf)
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