7-YEAR-OLD FINDS LOVE FOR THE BLUE OVAL IN FORD PICKUP BADGE

CARLISLE, Pa. – If you had flipped through the pages of the Carlisle Ford Nationals event guide while attending the show this past June, you may have noticed a young man named Patch Hurty was listed as one of the celebrities who would be touring the fairgrounds that weekend. No, Patch is not a TV or even a YouTube automotive personality – he’s just 7 years old. But he’s certainly someone to which most enthusiasts can relate, and one that Ford Motor Company has been glad to know.

Patch’s automotive journey began at the impressionable age of 5 when he found a damaged Ford emblem on the side of the road in his home state of Connecticut. From there he set out on a mission to try and collect an emblem, logo, or decal from every auto manufacturer possible.

He began writing letters to various auto companies and sent along a photo of him next to one of their vehicles, and even included a penny from his own piggy bank in exchange for them responding to his request. When Ford received Patch’s letter, they decided to Go Further. They brought him to Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn to meet Henry Ford III and receive a customized 12-volt toy Mustang. He also went on the Rouge Factory Tour to see Ford F-150’s being built, and even got to visit the Ford Design Studio where vehicle badges are created.

When the Carlisle Events team heard about Patch, they invited him to attend the annual Carlisle Ford Nationals show and toured him around the event as a celebrity judge. Having never been to a car show before -- let alone one as massive as the Carlisle Ford Nationals – it was easy to see why Patch felt like he was in Ford Heaven with just about every type of Ford vehicle on display at the event.