Ford Motor Co. has honored six dealers from around the globe for exceptional community service.
The group, recognized Thursday as part of Ford's 18th annual Salute to Dealers event, were part of a dealer network that donated more than $110 million to nonprofits in 2017. Ford dealers also volunteered a combined 50,000 hours last year.
"Ford dealers are the best in the world," Edsel Ford II, chairman of the Salute to Dealers awards program and a member of Ford's board of directors, said in a statement. "Their level of commitment to bettering the communities in which they operate is not only commendable, it also helps to strengthen the Ford and Lincoln brands in communities across the world."
About 17 percent of dealers said they gave to police, firefighter and other first responder initiatives last year, topping the list. Donations to children's causes totaled 13 percent, while contributions to educational programs and scholarships also totaled 13 percent, Ford said. About 10 percent of dealers said they gave to veterans' causes.
As part of the awards, the Ford Motor Company Fund will donate $10,000 to a charity of each honoree's choice.
Here are this year's honorees.
Charlie Diers of Diers Ford-Lincoln in Fremont, Neb.
Dan Hay of Jim Burke Ford in Bakersfield, Calif.
Don Jenkins of Jenkins & Wynne Ford-Lincoln in Clarksville, Tenn.
Siegfried Ernst of Ernst & Koenig in Freiburg, Germany
Al MacPhee of MacPhee Ford in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Ivo Roveda of Center Automoveis in Curitiba, Brazil. a
