OKEECHOBEE — Gilbert Ford in Okeechobee recently supported the Okeechobee High School (OHS) Baseball team in a new, fun way. Instead of installing a normal banner on the team’s homerun fence, Gilbert installed a “monster wall” emblazoned with an F-150 truck and the message “Bust the Windshield.” Any batter lucky enough to hit a homerun through the windshield would be awarded a $500 college scholarship and an additional $500 would be donated to the OHS Baseball Team. While the monster wall was placed in what most describe as the homerun “sweet spot,” most agreed that it would still be a tall feat to hit the target. However, it didn’t take long for the first homerun to be hit.

During their home opener against Clewiston High School, Orlando Arana of the OHS baseball team stepped to the plate hoping to get on base or possibly bring a runner home. He never expected to hit one over the fence, but that is exactly what happened. Mr. Arana’s first homerun as a Brahman left his bat and had only one destination in sight: Gilbert Ford’s “monster wall.” As if out of a story, the ball went up and directly through the windshield of the F-150 earning him a $500 college scholarship and $500 for his home team.

Bert Culbreth, owner of Gilbert Ford and OHS baseball alumnus, said, “I couldn’t be more excited for Orlando. Hitting a homerun is always exciting but for a scholarship to come with it makes it that much better. I can’t wait for more kids to ‘bust the windshield.’” “While baseball and other sports may only be considered ‘games,’ they’re proven to help kids develop invaluable skills like leadership, cooperation, and sportsmanship while also bringing families and communities together. We’re proud to support youth activities like this one.” said J.D. Mixon, Director of Operations for the Gilbert Family of Companies.