Every year, our teams are proud to support county fairs across Michigan and engage with the communities where we live and serve. In particular, our renewable energy team members are thrilled to use these opportunities to educate on the benefits of renewable energy, hand out much-loved swag (some county fair attendees have returned with DTE hats so worn out, they need a new one!), answer people’s questions, and, of course, showcase our renewable energy mascots.
Matt Wagner, manager of Renewable Energy Development at DTE, says our involvement in the fairs reinforces our role as a good neighbor in communities throughout Michigan. “We’re an energy provider, but we also care about the communities we work in,” said Matt. “Having a presence at the fairs personalizes DTE – we’re not just a large corporation – we’re a multitude of people who want to improve lives with our energy wherever we can.”
Last year, we debuted our renewable energy mascots, Windy Turbine and Sunny Solar, at the county fairs. The mascots were a huge hit among fair-goers, and this year they continued to draw attention to the DTE booth. Windy and Sunny enhance our crowd interaction at the fairs, allowing us to give out even more swag and information about renewable energy.
“The mascots are incredible to work with and so engaging, especially with the kids,” said DJ Ikeler, who helps run our county fair participation and is director of community relations at Clarity Group. “Every county fair loves them because they elevate the atmosphere and set us apart from the other booths – if we’re in a barn with 100 other vendors, it really makes us stand out.”
This year, we supported 20 Michigan county fairs, and we can’t wait to see everyone at our booth again next year!
