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The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) will be donating four sets of soy-based Goodyear tires to charitable organizations across the state this summer, with one of those sets going to the Spencer County Council on Aging. The organization was nominated by Spencer County farmer and ISA board member Derika Spaetti.

The tire donation will be formally presented during the Spencer County Cruise-In Vehicle Showcase on Saturday, June 14, at 3 p.m. on Main Street in Rockport. The event will include a brief ceremony, with Spaetti and a representative from the Spencer County Council on Aging available to discuss the impact of the donation. Melanie Batalis of ISA will also be in attendance.

This marks the second consecutive year that ISA has provided soy-based tires to Indiana nonprofits. The donation is part of an ongoing effort to promote the use of renewable resources in manufacturing, reduce reliance on petroleum products, and support the soybean farming industry through innovative partnerships.

The donated tires are the result of a collaboration between Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and the United Soybean Board (USB), the national organization funded in part by the ISA. Since 2017, Goodyear has integrated soybean oil into its tire production, replacing petroleum-based oils to create more sustainable, high-performing products.

Tires made with soybean oil offer several environmental and performance benefits. They reduce petroleum use, improve flexibility in cold temperatures, enhance traction in rain and snow, and lower energy consumption during manufacturing. Goodyear has increased its use of soybean oil by more than 70 percent since 2018 and continues to make strides toward replacing all petroleum oil in its products by 2040.

Among Goodyear’s soy-based products are the Assurance WeatherReady and Assurance ComfortDrive lines, which incorporate 100 percent soybean oil in their tread compounds, cutting petroleum oil content by up to 62 percent.

The tire donation initiative also helps organizations like first responders and nonprofits, such as the Council on Aging, offset rising operational costs. For Indiana farmers, it’s a chance to see how their crops are contributing to more sustainable and practical applications beyond food.

The U.S. soybean crop is the country’s second-largest cash crop, but only 65 percent is used in food applications. Programs like this aim to increase awareness and demand for industrial uses, ultimately strengthening market value for the nation’s more than 500,000 soybean farmers.

For more information about Goodyear soy-based tires, visit www.goodyear.com, and to learn more about the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org.