Rick Pickard of Hoffpauir Ford Mercury Inc. has announced that the Lampasas auto dealership will join Ford Motor Company in its ongoing sponsorship of the National FFA.

Ford has committed to a 13th year of the Built Ford Tough -- FFA Collegiate Scholarship Program, which will award $1,000 scholarships to hundreds of FFA members, each co-sponsored by Ford dealers.

Ford has supported the National FFA since the first F-series truck was introduced in 1948, and has sponsored the scholarship program since 1997. The program, funded by Ford Motor Company and Ford dealers, has awarded almost $5.6 million in scholarships to FFA members.

The local dealership is sponsoring the scholarship program for Lampasas High School. For the 2009-2010 year, the auto dealership will help one local student attend the college of their choice.

To be eligible, FFA members must submit an online 2010 scholarship application at www.ffa.org and take the required signature page to Hoffpauir Ford Mercury Inc. for the dealer endorsement and official dealer code.

“We are pleased to be able to support the local chapter and Ford Motor Company in its strong commitment to the National FFA,” said Pickard. “All our previous scholarship recipients tell us how grateful they are for the financial support and how the FFA experience has changed their lives.”

Ford plays an integral role in the agriculture industry, said Pickard. “And we want to help these future leaders succeed.”