Ford Motor Company and RiverBend Ford in Bainbridge announced they are sponsoring one local Built Ford Tough scholarship, which would help a selected student attend the college of their choice.

Ford Motor Company’s 2009 commitment includes substantial support of National FFA events, and $1,000 collegiate scholarships for hundreds of FFA members. Ford, with local dealers such as RiverBend Ford, has awarded 5,597 scholarships since 1997.

Ford has supported the National FFA since the first F-Series truck was introduced in 1948, and has sponsored the Built Ford Tough collegiate scholarship program since 1997. The program has awarded almost $5.6 million in scholarships to FFA members.

To be an eligible recipient for the 2009-2010 Built Ford Tough collegiate scholarship program for Bainbridge High School, FFA members must submit an online scholarship application at www.ffa.org and take the required signature page to RiverBend Ford for the dealer endorsement and official dealer code.

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