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Interview
Mark ]. It ’ s a step in a healthier direction . The more I learned about the product , the more confident I was to share the story with my fans and people have responded the way I would have hoped .”
Having filmed a promo and now regularly updating his Instagram feed with information about the product , the feedback Donnie receives is that people are curious to learn more . “ As soon as I started having conversations with Clean Fuels , I became much more aware of the prevalence of biofuels . I started to notice if the airliner I was on was using it and I saw transit buses in New York advertising their use of biodiesel blends . I think my approach to making changes is to start with myself , so I am going to use biodiesel on my tour bus this summer and I ’ m going to be talking to people about it at venues . “ This is a great way to get the word out and share information . We also have a lot of shows in the areas where the soybean feedstocks are produced , and I think it will mean a lot to the families who are in one way or another connected to the soybean industry , to hear me supporting this .”
The demographic and reach of Donnie ’ s fanbase have also evolved with the band , and so now while the original , predominantly female ‘ Blockheads ’ are returning to the show , they are accompanied by their own children , as well as husbands and dads who appreciate Donnie for his roles in shows such as Band of Brothers and Blue Bloods . Donnie ’ s own son is keen to accompany him on tour , to see for himself how the biodiesel-powered bus performs and how fans respond . “ That ’ s another reason why supporting this product makes sense to me ,” he adds . “ Our children are learning so much about how we must take care of the planet and I am glad to have found a bridge
I ’ m invested in this partnership , and I am paying more attention to everything now
between my generation and my son ’ s generation to say , ‘ Hey , look at this product , look at what it can do .’ The simplicity of the product is , I think , a big part of it , in that it allows us to have these conversations .”
Small changes , big difference
The learning journey that Donnie has been on since he began his relationship with Bioheat ® fuel is showing no signs of slowing down . “ I ’ m invested in this partnership , and I am paying more attention to everything now . I think this product is at the cutting edge , and it has sparked my interest in looking at what else I could be doing and I think the same is going to happen for a lot of people . Start with something that ’ s not too daunting ,
www . cleanfuels . org
where there ’ s not a lot of jargon , and take the first step . It really motivates me to share this easy option and demonstrate it is available to them .”
Looking to the future , Donnie is keen to meet some of the farmers who grow the feedstocks for Bioheat ® fuel and who worked with Clean Fuels to come up with the concept of Bioheat ® fuel . “ These are family-owned farms , run by people who want to make a difference . I didn ’ t realize at the beginning that promoting home heating oil in the Northeast would lead me to learn so much and make changes to my tour , like putting biodiesel in my tour bus and no longer using fireworks in our shows . I ’ m starting with the fuel , but I want to keep building on the foundation of the relationship and discover more ways that I can spread the word and be useful to this product and to consumers .” ■
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