MIAMI, FL (July 2, 2007) -- For the 13th consecutive year, hundreds of outstanding college-bound high school seniors from South Florida saw their classroom efforts rewarded by the 20 South Florida Ford and Lincoln Mercury Dealers of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, along with Ford Motor Company.

This year’s 13th Annual Salute to Education Scholarships Awards Breakfast awarded $220,000 in scholarships to 220 Miami-Dade and Broward County (110 winners from each county) graduating students during the function held recently at the Sheraton Miami Mart Hotel in Miami. Each scholarship was for $1,000.

Over the past 13 years, Salute to Education (STE) has granted a total of $2.83 million in scholarships to more than 3,000 graduating seniors in South Florida.

Francisco Codina, group vice president of North American marketing for Ford Motor Company, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, graciously served as guest speakers at the heavily attended breakfast where family, friends, teachers, and college advisors accompanied the winning graduating high school seniors.

Highlights of the awards banquet included both Mr. Codina and Mayor Alvarez recognizing the successes and accomplishments of the Salute to Education winners in attendance and reminding the students that continuous education is the key to enlightenment and advancement. The scholarship recipients in attendance at the awards breakfast were presented with an extra special surprise when 40 new laptop computers were raffled off and 20 winners from each county won a new laptop.

Salute to Education, one of the largest private scholarship programs in South Florida, is a non-profit organization made possible by the 20 Miami-Dade and Broward County Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers, and the Ford Motor Company. A Scholarship Committee of dealer representatives and volunteers from the community selects the recipients.