OREANDA-NEWS. Ram and the FCA Foundation have announced that they will further strengthen their support of Texas Ranger heritage by donating — for the second time — $100,000 to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.
 
It was less than 12 months ago at the 2014 State Fair of Texas that the Ram Truck brand announced its partnership with the Texas Rangers and stepped up with $100,000 to help with the preservation of the history of the renowned law enforcement organization.
 
“Texas Rangers epitomize all of the great qualities of the Lone Star State,” said Becky Blanchard, Director – Ram Truck Brand, FCA US LLC. “Ram has deep ties to Texas. Reinforcing Ram’s commitment to the Texas Ranger Division and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is a significant way to be engaged with the people and communities in which we do business.”
 
The Texas Rangers, America’s oldest state law enforcement agency, are gearing up for the landmark 200th anniversary of their founding, which is traced to 1823. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas, is the official historical center of the Rangers.
 
“It is a privilege having the Ram Brand as a corporate partner in support of the Texas Ranger Bicentennial,” said Hank Whitman, retired Chief, Texas Rangers and Chairman of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum Board. “Ram has a reputation for dependability, capability and service that echoes the values of the Texas Rangers. Their support honors the men and women who for ten generations have protected our homes and families.”
 
The first Rangers were minutemen and scouts protecting farms, ranches and settlements on a hostile frontier. Remarkably, Rangers have upheld the law over the span of three centuries; they are the only American lawmen to have served under five flags: Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, Confederate Texas and the U.S. again.
 
“We are tremendously grateful to Ram and the FCA Foundation for supporting the bicentennial of the Texas Rangers,” said Byron A. Johnson, Executive Director, Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. “They have made it possible to better share an American Heritage — the Texas Rangers — with present and future generations. We have been able to honor the service of the living retired Rangers with an exhibit in the state’s Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. And their support makes possible improvements to our museum that will permit those with disabilities to have better access to the museum.”
 
At the Dallas Auto Show in March of this year, Ram unveiled a one-of-a-kind Texas Ranger concept truck to commemorate and promote its partnership with the Rangers and bring the legendary spirit of the Rangers to the road.
 
Iconic silver Lone Star Texas Ranger badges accent the Ram 1500’s white-and-silver two-tone exterior, designed to emulate the white hats and silver badges that the good guys always wear.
 
Inside, the concept is loaded with unique Texas Ranger edition accents, including four real Mexican five-peso silver coins inlaid within the wooden portions of the door bolsters – heads for the front doors, tails for the rear.
 
“Ram Truck, our owners, our dealers and the FCA Foundation are committed to making a difference,” added Blanchard. “By extending our support of Texas Ranger heritage in partnership with the FCA Foundation, we feel we’re making a positive contribution by helping secure its future.”
 
In addition to the improvements at the museum, a portion of the $100,000 is applied to the Texas Ranger Association Foundation’s scholarship program. The foundation promotes a tradition of excellence by awarding scholarships to students of active-duty Texas Rangers.
 
Ram’s community presence in Texas is not limited to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. The Ram Truck brand, Ram dealers, Ram Nation and the FCA Foundation were also on the ground with the First Response Team of America in May 2015, helping to provide recovery and relief support to residents in flood-stricken central Texas communities. A $100,000 Ram Truck and FCA Foundation donation to First Response Team of America helped the communities of Wimberley and San Marcos, and will foster rapid response efforts, should another natural disaster strike.
 
Ram Nation is a grassroots organization of like-minded people willing and ready to help people in need, such as those hit by the Texas floods. Ram Nation volunteers haul supplies, deliver equipment, clear debris, distribute food and water and even make donations that help people in their communities and around the world. New members can join Ram Nation at www.ramtrucks.com/ramnation.

About Ram Trucks in Texas
More Texans drive pickup trucks than drivers in any other state; 20 percent of motor vehicle registrations versus 12 percent national average. In fact, Ram sells nearly two-and-a-half times as many pickup trucks in Texas as it does in the next-highest volume state.
 
In 2002, Ram Truck was the first manufacturer to recognize the strength of the pickup truck market in Texas and to offer an exclusive edition for the state. The Ram Lone Star edition was the first pickup truck designed by Texans and built specifically for Texans.
 
The Ram Lone Star edition is by far the brand’s best-selling model in Texas, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the half-ton mix. Since the Lone Star’s debut, Ram has sold more than 230,000 of the Texas-only models.
 
Ram introduced the Ram Laramie Longhorn edition to State Fair of Texas audiences in September 2010. It was the most luxurious truck ever produced by the company. The Laramie Longhorn is layered with southwestern design iconography. Inside and out, Laramie Longhorn is loaded with remarkable features and design cues from traditionally handcrafted, time-tested wares, such as the antique pocket watch, a fine pair of hand-tooled leather cowboy boots, a collector’s-grade shotgun or a horseman’s saddle. The Ram Laramie Longhorn’s metal work and leather work are second to none.
 
Ram is the fastest-growing truck brand in Texas. Its share is up 2.52 points over the last five years, in no small part owing to its ability to deliver the hard-working trucks that Texans demand.
 
About the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
The museum was established as the official historical center of the Texas Rangers in 1964. Since its founding, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame has grown to include a museum, Texas Ranger company headquarters, State Hall of Fame, library and archives, an educational center serving nonprofits and a banquet facility.
 
Today, the site has more galleries and the land holds buildings for a variety of services: more galleries, more research, more education and community involvement among them.
 
An educational center not only hosts student groups (students in fourth and seventh grades in the state study Texas history), but is a place to help community organizations with training or conferences.
 
Efforts are underway to renovate and expand the exhibits and educational facilities of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame in Waco. The goal is to leave a Bicentennial legacy by supporting efforts of the museum to further preserve the Texas Ranger heritage for future generations.
 
In preparation for the 200th anniversary of the Texas Rangers, the Texas Public Safety Commission has appointed the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum as their representative and steward for the Texas Ranger Bicentennial™.