A Nebraska family has been named the lucky winners of a flex fuel (FFV) Ford F150 from Growth Energy.

Roger and Margie Johnson of Exeter, Nebraska (seen far left) were the grand prize winners in the Growth Force sweepstakes. The prize was awarded on Thursday to the winners by Wayne Hoovestol, Chairman of Green Plains Renewable Energy and a member of the Growth Energy Board of Directors.

“We are very proud to drive a Ford Flex Fuel Vehicle. If we’re ever going to secure our nation, we need to do it with domestic fuels like ethanol. Ethanol creates jobs here in the U.S., and it gives our farmers market certainty, but just as important is the fact that every gallon of ethanol we make in the U.S. means one less gallon of fuel from overseas,” the Johnsons said.

The giveaway was conducted as part of the campaign launching Growth Force, the individual membership for Growth Energy, a coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters. People who signed up for Growth Force became eligible to win the truck. Growth Force sign-up drives were held at two of the nation’s largest farm shows: the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois and the Husker Harvest Days show in Grand Island, Nebraska.

“As a member of Growth Energy, we are pleased to award this Flex Fuel Ford F150 truck to the Johnsons,” Hoovestol said at the truck giveaway. “In a short period of time, ethanol has become the third largest supplier of fuel in the U.S. behind imports from Canada and ahead of fuel imports from Saudi Arabia and Mexico. We congratulate the Johnsons.”

More than 13,000 people have joined Growth Force since its inception this summer.