American Latino Media Arts Awards Has 'Desperate' Host & Blue (Oval) Sponsor

American Latino Media Arts Awards Has 'Desperate' Host & Blue (Oval) Sponsor

Eva Longoria of 'Desperate Housewives' to Host June Telecast Recognizing Artistic Achievement by Latinos

* Ford continues partnership with National Council of La Raza, organizers of ALMA Awards * Partnership underscores Ford's commitment to diversity * With Eva Longoria as host and producer, broadcast to feature celebrity appearances spanning the worlds of pop, rock and Latin music in English and Spanish.

LOS ANGELES, April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) announced that Ford Motor Company will be a "Gold" sponsor of the American Latino Media Arts (ALMA) Awards broadcast June 5 on ABC-TV, hosted by "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria.

Longoria was on hand today as the nominations for the 2006 ALMA Awards were announced at a press event in Beverly Hills.

The ALMA Awards recognize and celebrate Latino artistic achievement in American film, television and music. The event is organized by the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, which works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

"Diversity is essential to Ford's mission, and we value our relationship with the NCLR," said Alvaro Cabal of Ford's Southwest Public Affairs office. "NCLR's goal, to improve life opportunities for Hispanic Americans, supports a community which is very important to our company, and we at Ford are pleased to partner with the ALMA Awards." "Ford has played a prominent role with NCLR since 1984," said Janet Murguia, President and CEO of NCLR. "It's much more than just a sponsorship. Ford executives have donated their time, and the company has helped develop and implement programs that help us to provide new opportunities for our community."

Ford has previously supported the NCLR's annual conference, the Capital Awards, and NCLR's Agenda magazine. In addition, three Ford executives have served on NCLR's Corporate Board of Advisors: Francisco Codina, vice president, Ford Customer Service; James G. O'Connor, retired group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales & Service; and James J. Padilla, president and COO of Ford Motor Company, the current chair of NCLR's Corporate Board of Advisors.

Ford also supports other Hispanic organizations through the Ford Motor Company Fund, including ASPIRA, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, the Hispanic College Fund, League of Latin American United Citizens, MANA, a National Latina Organization, the National Latino Children's Institute, and the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute. For more information on the programs and organizations Ford Fund supports, visit http://www.ford.com/go/fordfund .

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and 108 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company. For information regarding Ford's products, visit http://www.fordvehicles.com/ . Go to http://media.ford.com/ for high-resolution photographs.

About NCLR

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) -- the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States -- works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. To achieve its mission, NCLR conducts applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy, providing a Latino perspective in five key areas - assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health. In addition, it provides capacity-building assistance to its affiliates who work at the state and local level to advance opportunities for individuals and families. Founded in 1968, NCLR is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization, headquartered in Washington, DC. For more information, visit http://www.nclr.org/ / .

Source: Ford Motor Company

CONTACT: David Rodriguez, +1-313-594-4458, Drodri72@ford.com , John
Clinard, +1-949-341-7689, jclinard@ford.com , both of Ford Motor Company; or
Dan Smith, +1-310-224-4954, dsmith@pcgcampbell.com , for Ford Motor Company

Web site: http://www.ford.com/
http://www.fordvehicles.com/
http://media.ford.com/
http://www.ford.com/go/fordfund
http://www.nclr.org/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Go to http://media.ford.com for news releases and high- resolution photographs.

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