- In September 2007, Lincoln shined the spotlight on New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village through its Lincoln MKX "Hometown" spot featuring Harry Connick, Jr.
- Lincoln is joining forces with Harry Connick, Jr. and House Beautiful magazine to decorate the interior of the home of a musician living in Musicians' Village.
- Lincoln is continuing its commitment to Musicians' Village and the rebuilding efforts of New Orleans by forming a "MODEL Team" and volunteering with the New Orleans Area Habitat and the Jimmy Carter Work Project in the Upper Ninth Ward to build homes for displaced Katrina victims.
DEARBORN, Mich., May 5, 2008 – In the true spirit of giving back and inspiring people to experience their dreams, Lincoln once again joins forces with Harry Connick, Jr. and the New Orleans Area Habitat to rebuild and celebrate the community spirit of the Musicians' Village in New Orleans. During the week of May 12, Lincoln will form a MODEL Team and join Habitat and the Jimmy Carter Work Project in the Upper Ninth Ward to help rebuild homes and celebrate 25 years of building in metro New Orleans. Ford MODEL Teams are part of the Ford Volunteer Corps, founded by Bill Ford Jr., in 2005. On May 15, continuing their commitment to keep music thriving in New Orleans, Lincoln along with Connick and House Beautiful magazinewill decorate and debut the interior of musician Shamarr Allen's home in Musicians' Village.
In September 2007, Lincoln shined the spotlight on Harry Connick, Jr. and Musicians' Village through its Lincoln MKX"Hometown" spot, which featured New Orleans musicians and the
rebuilding efforts of New Orleans Area Habitat. This year, Lincoln is returning to the Village to show its commitment to the people of New Orleans and the pursuit of fulfilling their dreams.
Upon their return to New Orleans Lincoln, Connick and House Beautiful will decorate the interior of local musician Sharmarr Allen's home. As one of the most talented, young musicians in New Orleans, Allen has emphasized the importance of creating a comfortable entertainment-oriented atmosphere for himself and his family. The Lincoln, Connick and House Beautiful team, along with Pottery Barn, who donated all of the home furnishings, will join together to take Allen's house and transform it to the home of his dreams. The home will be featured in the September issue of House Beautiful.
"Lincoln is pleased to be working once again with Harry Connick, Jr. to help rebuild and achieve the dreams of musicians living in the Village," said Brett Wheatley, General Marketing Manager, Lincoln Mercury. "The team at Lincoln is very committed to the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans and last year's Lincoln MKX "Hometown" spot inspired us to want to do more. Bringing a Lincoln MODEL Team to the Upper Ninth Ward and partnering with House Beautiful has allowed us to fulfill what we started here last September – making dreams come true."
"House Beautiful is proud to join Lincoln and Harry in New Orleans," said Kate Kelly Smith, VP/publisher of House Beautiful. "We're thrilled to have the support of Pottery Barn and the opportunity to help make Mr. Allen's new house a home."
About Ford Volunteer Corps and MODEL Teams
The Ford Volunteer Corp is comprised of employees and retirees across six continents who work to strengthen their communities. Ford Motor Company offers its U.S. salaried employees 16 hours per year to volunteer in the community.
Employees form MODEL Teams and volunteer to help select nonprofit organizations. Last year, more than 34,000 salaried employees used this company benefit to support their communities.
About Musicians' Village
After hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced many musicians to flee New Orleans, the sounds of jazz, blues, and other genres that are the soundtrack of this incredible city, were exiled in faraway places. New Orleans Area Habitat, together with Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis were determined to change this and plans were announced in December 2005 for the construction of a Musicians' Village. The Musicians' Village, conceived by Connick and Marsalis, consists of 82 units for displaced New Orleans musicians and other qualifying families. Its centerpiece is the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, dedicated to the education and development of homeowners and others who will live nearby.
Ford's Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
Ford Motor Company, Ford Fund and employees donated more than $6.5 million to aid areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Efforts included donating 275 vehicles and sending a mobile command center unit to St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, to facilitate communications between various law enforcement agencies. The mobile command center also served as the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's office.
Some Ford volunteers donated their time working in the areas hardest hit by the hurricane, while others partnered with groups like Habitat for Humanity to help provide shelter to families affected by the storm. In addition, more than 1,300 Ford volunteers staffed phones in 18 call centers throughout the United States to accept nearly $1.5 million in donations for the Salvation Army and American Red Cross hurricane relief efforts as part of a nationwide telethon. Ford was the only automotive company to participate.
In recognition of its efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Ford received a U.S. Chamber of Commerce award.
About House Beautiful
House Beautiful (www.housebeautiful.com) is a leading authority on American home design and decoration, reaching more than seven million readers every month. Founded in 1896, House Beautiful is the oldest continuously published shelter magazine in the United States. Readers can also interact with the brand on the digital front, with House Beautiful mobile (m.housebeautiful.com). In addition to its U.S. flagship, House Beautiful publishes two editions around the world.
About Lincoln
Award-winning new products, including the new Lincoln MKX crossover, Lincoln MKZ sedan, and Lincoln Navigator, are a few of the key reasons behind the newfound strength of the Lincoln brand. In 2007, Lincoln was the market's fastest-growing luxury brand. And that momentum will continue in 2008 with the summer launch of the 2009 Lincoln MKS, an all-new flagship sedan that combines the highest levels of luxury and technology.
Key new Lincoln products include:
The Lincoln MKX, the brand's first crossover and segment winner of AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award, is designed to appeal to a new generation of luxury customers. It features a luxurious car-like ride, all-wheel drive capability, a powerful and fuel efficient engine, and it has been recognized by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety as a 'Top Safety Pick.'
The Lincoln MKZ, mid-size luxury sedan segment winner of the J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey (IQS), features a powerful 263-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine and is available with all-wheel-drive. The Lincoln MKZ has also been recognized as an "Interior of the Year" award winner in the premium sedan segment by Ward's AutoWorld.
The Lincoln Navigator received critical acclaim upon its redesign for 2007, winningWard's AutoWorld "Interior of the Year" award in the premium truck segment. For the 2008 model, which is in dealerships now, Lincoln has improved the interior even further with the available Limited Edition model featuring two-tone leather seats finished with a black piping. Standard features on the Navigator include the award-winning THX-II Certified Audio System, the class-exclusive Powerfold third row seat, power liftgate, heated and cooled front seats, and SIRIUS satellite radio.
The 2008 models are currently available in Lincoln dealerships nationwide. For more information on the Lincoln products, including the all-new Lincoln MKS, please visit: www.lincoln.com.
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