South Dakota Farmers Union Foundation is seeking opportunities to raise public awareness and support for ethanol and renewable energy resources, and the Foundation also wants to help support local and regional public events.

To fill both needs, the Foundation is booking events where its new E-85, crew cab, 4-wheel-drive pickup can help promote local events and boost the ethanol message.

Most recently, the pickup was featured at the State Camp in the Black Hills, the recently completed Fuel Security Tour, the Yellow Dime event in Salem, sponsored by SDFU and Central Farmers Cooperative and the Corn Palace Stampede and the Days of 76 in Deadwood. Plans are for it to be at the many county fairs around South Dakota in addition to the State Fair.

“Our calendar is filling up, but there are still plenty of dates open between now and Feb. 10 when a lucky winner will win a new 2007 version of our E-85 promotional pickup,” Julie Bartling, SDFU Foundation executive director, said. “If you’ve got a community or regional celebration or event where we can display the truck and sell raffle tickets to raise money for our Foundation, we would like to hear from you.”

Donations to purchase the pickup at Prostrollo Motor Sales of Huron were made from several organizations which support ethanol and a stronger rural economy.

The pickup was recently given a NASCAR-style red, vinyl skin with flashy decals at First Class Design in Huron. Sponsors who funded the pickup to promote ethanol were Prostrollo Chevrolet, Heartland Grain Fuels, Fremar Inc., S.D. Corn Council, the American Coalition for Ethanol, ADM Inc., Fagan Inc., and VeraSun Energy.

To book the E-85 pickup at a community or regional event, contact Bartling at the SDFU Foundation office, 1-888-734-8136, extension 115, or email her at jbartling@sdfu.org.