Calling All Santa Barbara Prius Owners

On Saturday, April 2nd at 9 a.m., at Toyota of Santa Barbara in Goleta, the Fund for Santa Barbara presents The Roger Horton Prius Hypermileage Challenge, sponsored by Toyota of Santa Barbara, benefitting the Clean/Green Energy Fund. The Hypermileage Challenge kicks off with instruction on driving a Prius for maximum gas mileage during a continental breakfast at Toyota of Santa Barbara, 5611 Hollister Avenue. Following training, a driving challenge for the best gas mileage will occur over a route to Buellton where drivers will gather to compare their results and receive awards at a no-host luncheon at Andersen’s Pea Soup Restaurant.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Clean/Green Energy Fund which gives nonprofit organizations seed funding for projects to improve their energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint. The Clean/Green Energy Fund was established by the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara and is managed by The Fund for Santa Barbara.

“The Roger Horton Prius Hypermileage Fund is a great way for Prius owners to learn best driving practices and potentially save money in the future while supporting a worthy community cause,” said Ivor John, Chair of the Green Team of the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara. “Not only will the participating drivers be reducing their own carbon footprint over the years by driving their Priuses in a more efficient manner, but they will also be helping Santa Barbara nonprofits reduce their carbon footprints through contributing to the Clean/Green Energy Fund!”

Deadline to register for The Roger Horton Prius Hypermileage Challenge is Thursday, March 31.

Prius owners can register by making a $50 tax-deductible contribution to the Fund for Santa Barbara. Registration can be made in one of the following ways:

• Go to http://priuschallenge.eventbrite.com to pay by credit card.
• Call The Fund for Santa Barbara at (805) 962-9164 to pay over the phone.
• Send a check made out to “The Fund for Santa Barbara” with “Clean/Green Energy Fund” in the memo line through the mail to: The Fund for Santa Barbara, 26 West Anapamu St, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101.

The Roger Horton Hypermileage Prius Challenge is being held in honor of the long-time Santa Barbara City Councilmember who, before he retired, had regularly and conscientiously supported energy saving projects in Santa Barbara.

About the Clean/Green Energy Fund

The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara established the Clean/Green Energy Fund after upgrading their facilities and installing solar panels through a grant from the Bower Foundation. Following “pay-it-forward” principles, Unitarian Society members contributed to the Energy Fund to make seed money available to other nonprofits wanting to explore alternatives to their energy practices. When established in 2009, Geoff Green, Executive Director of the Fund for Santa Barbara, said: “The launch of this new fund is an exciting opportunity for our nonprofit community. These organizations will have access to seed funding to undertake projects that improve their energy efficiency, reduce their carbon footprint, and help them to model their environmental values in their everyday work.” For nonprofit organizations, once a preliminary proposal is made, each religious organization or nonprofit can apply for seed funding to help finance and install their own energy efficiency technology.

About The Fund for Santa Barbara

The Fund for Santa Barbara is a nonprofit community foundation that supports grass roots organizations working for social, economic, environmental and political change in Santa Barbara County. For more information, please go to www.fundforsantabarbara.org.