• Ford spent pre-Father’s Day weekend in Dallas mentoring young men as part of the annual Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend
• 2015 marks the sixth consecutive year Ford has been the exclusive automotive sponsor of the program
• Ford’s participation reflects its commitment to support the African American community

Ford Motor Company joined radio personality Steve Harvey pre-Father’s Day weekend in Dallas for his annual Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend for Young Men program. The program is executed by the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation.

The sole purpose of the weekend program is to share and teach the principles of manhood and dream building to young African American men. Now in its seventh year, the Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend has helped young African American men realize their potential and envision a future where they are responsible and productive members of society.

“Ford is committed to playing an active role in the community and applauds the efforts of the Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend for Young Men program,” said Shawn Thompson, manager, Ford multicultural marketing.

The Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend for Young Men program reflects Ford’s century-long commitment to supporting the African American community. This is the sixth consecutive year Ford has participated as exclusive automotive sponsor. Along with featuring its latest lineup of vehicles, including the 2015 Fusion Energi and all-new 2015 Mustang GT, Ford executives were on hand to lead panel discussions and host workshops.

John Viera, global director, Sustainability and Vehicle Environmental Matters, Ford Motor Company, held a networking round-table discussion to inspire the young men. In addition, Earl Lucas, Lincoln exterior design manager, headed up the Ford Go Further Challenge, which provided attendees the opportunity to show their creativity and competitive spirit by designing their own vehicles.

“The young men displayed an incredible amount of passion, determination and vigor,” said Viera. “They inspired me.”

The winning team in the design challenge received a $1,000 gift card prize. The team won by best incorporating safety, technology and energy-saving attributes, as well as overall functionality into the vehicle they created.

“The innovative thinking of all the young men who took part in the challenge deserves praise,” said Lucas. “They demonstrated their creativity and technical talents.”