Ford Motor Company Fund Honors National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts and its Co-Founders
- Award will be presented at 17th Annual Noche de Gala in Washington
- NHFA co-founders, including actors Jimmy Smits and Esai Morales, to be honored
- $25,000 Ford Fund grant to benefit National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2013 – Ford Motor Company Fund announced today a new awards program to honor those working to make a difference in the Latino community. In the first year of the award, the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts and its co-founders – actors Jimmy Smits, Esai Morales, Sonia Braga and Merel Julia, as well as Washington lawyer Felix Sanchez – will be honored for their work to expand the presence and influence of Latinos in the arts and entertainment industry.
A $25,000 grant also will be awarded to NHFA in recognition for its role in leading the advancement of Latinos in arts and entertainment. The award and grant will be presented at the foundation’s 17th Annual Noche de Gala today at the Renaissance Mayflower hotel in Washington. The Noche de Gala dinner is underwritten by Ford.
“When we started NHFA, our mission was to promote Latino talent both in front of and behind the camera,” said Jimmy Smits. “We are proud of what we have accomplished; however, there is still much left to do. We are grateful to Ford for recognizing and supporting our efforts.”
The NHFA co-founders have worked to secure thousands of scholarships for Latino youth pursuing careers in the arts and entertainment fields. They have dedicated countless hours to support the foundation and its goal to make the organization a leader in opening doors for up-and-coming Latino talent.
“Ford has been a proud supporter of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts for more than a decade,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund. “We hope this new award will inspire the involvement of other public figures to support the Latino community.”
Future recipients of this recognition will receive a $25,000 grant from Ford Fund at NHFA’s annual event for a nonprofit of his or her choice. The award must be used for a community program that aligns with Ford Fund’s priorities: driver safety, education and community life.
# # #
About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community partners around the world to advance driving safety, education and community life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 60 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. The award-winning Ford Driving Skills for Life program teaches new drivers through a variety of hands-on and interactive methods. Innovation in education is encouraged through scholarships and programs that transform education systems and connect classroom learning to the real world. Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, more than 25,000 Ford employees and retirees work on projects that better their communities in 30 countries. For more information, visit www.community.ford.com.
Contact:
Jessica Joisten
Comunicad
jj@comunicad.com
(703) 807-0500
Tags: