Help Audubon’s Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries through the Ferman Audubon Truck Challenge.

For the second time, we have a special matching offer this year.  Jim and Cecelia Ferman and Ferman Motorcars have generously offered us an opportunity to purchase a new truck at more than one-third off!

Last year donations to Audubon’s Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries matched the 2012 Ferman Audubon Truck Challenge and we replaced one truck.

In this picture, Ferman Chevrolet’s Mark Wilson gave Audubon Sanctuary staff Ann Paul and Mark Rachal the keys to a brand new Silverado truck purchased through the 2012 Ferman Audubon Truck Challenge.  This new truck replaced one of the aging, high-mileage trucks in our two-vehicle fleet.

We want to do that again!  Our old and rusty 1996 Chevy truck has been great, pulling boats to ramps near colonies across west central Florida, but as a boat hauler exposed to salty water, the work for Audubon has been heavy duty.  Several times, we have been stranded on the side of the road, with our Audubon boats in tow behind us, hoping not to be hit by traffic and waiting for rescue.  This is not fun or funny -- it means that we have wasted a day during the busy nesting season when we didn’t get our work on the colonial waterbird colonies done, and the maintenance expenses for the old truck are expensive.

Here is a photo of Audubon’s old, high-mileage, rusty Audubon truck, a 1996 Chevy Silverado 1500.  It has done a good job, but now it’s time to get a replacement.

We appealed to long-time Sanctuary supporter Jim Ferman, and he has suggested a way: Ferman Motorcars will provide a new truck to us at cost, and he will kick-off the match, offering one third of the cost of the new truck.  Now, we need to raise the balance.  Now, we need your help.

Will you make a special donation to the 2013 Ferman Audubon Truck Challenge so that we can safely tow our boats and protect our island sanctuaries?  Donations are, of course, tax deductible and will be Very Much Appreciated!

Online donation: https://give.audubon.org/Giving/Page/50/1/50

For more information about how you can participate in the 2013 Ferman Audubon Truck Challenge or for more information about the Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries, please contact Ann Paul at the Sanctuaries office (telephone 813/623-6826 or apaul@audubon.org).