When you hear the name Rubicon team you might think of a group of off-road enthusiasts in Jeep Wranglers. However, it is more of a group of people who specialize in on-the-ground response after a natural disaster. To support the cause, Ford and his charity group, Ford Fund, have invested a total value of US$5.8 million.
A donation representing several million dollars
Earlier this week, Ford announced this important move. The amount of 5.8 million is actually divided into several parts. The first is a $2.5 million cash donation to Team Rubicon’s “Ready Reserve” fund on the United States side. This one comes from the Ford Fund. The second part takes the form of a donation of several vehicles from the automaker’s automotive division.
Moreover, the vehicle fleet includes 10 Ford F-150 XL PowerBoost Hybrid equipped with the 7.2 kilowatt Pro Power Onboard. It also has two Super Duty F-350 XLs, both equipped with the 2 kilowatt Pro Power Onboard system. Three F-150 Lightning Pros and two Broncos equipped with the Sasquatch package are also part of the lot, for a total of 17 vehicles. Those equipped with the Pro Power Onboard will have the mission, after a disaster, of providing essential services to communities without electricity using the onboard generator.
Additionally, Ford has included five years of free maintenance on all 17 vehicles as well as the Ford Pro system. Everything is linked to the manufacturer’s commitment spread over five years.
What is Team Rubicon?
The Rubicon team was born in 2010 following the magnitude 7 earthquake that shook Port-au-Prince. Troubled by the scenes of public distress as well as the lack of adequate help on the ground, two marines, Jake Wood and William McNulty, decided to act. They assembled a team of veterans who pitched in to help those affected.
Since then, the team has grown over the years. Today, it has more than 225 missions accomplished during natural disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and even floods. More than 70,000 volunteers have signed up to serve, and more than 10,000 veterans have been deployed to some 20 countries.
The name Rubicon comes from the expression “crossing the Rubicon” which refers to any group embarking on a risky course of action that has reached a point of no return. This is an expression dating back to Roman times.
