Waterloo, Ontario (March 30, 2009) – On Saturday, March 28th, hundreds of students joined the University of Waterloo Sustainability Project (UWSP) to celebrate Earth Hour at the University of Waterloo’s Student Life Centre.
From 7pm on, the crowd was entertained by musical performances by both bands and singers and inspired by an art exhibit displaying the talents of UW students. Many of UWSP’s working groups took part in the event. Waste Management created a tree with discarded Tim Hortons’ coffee cups and ran a recycled-notebook craft. The Naturalistic Landscaping Team put a vermicomposter on display. Sustainable Foods served free local bread, dips, and other local products throughout the evening. Active and Community Transportation (ACT) held a release party for their Waterloo area walkability map and gave away free cake. The Otesha Book was available for purchase from the Otesha Project and Klean Kanteens and Earth Hour t-shirts were also being sold. A collaborative art piece was yet another aspect of the night, initiated by the Eco-Art Cooperative.
As 8:30 pm approached, the lights dimmed in the Multi-Purpose Room of UW’s Student Life Centre and the crowd counted down the seconds to signal the beginning of Earth Hour. During the hour of darkness, a jam session supplied the beats as students played board games, danced, and engaged in good conversation.
The event wrapped up with the announcement of the raffle draw winners. Those who clicked "Attending" on the Facebook event, signed up at the Earth Hour booth on campus during the week, or signed up at the raffle table during the event were entered into the draw. In total, 962 names were submitted into the draw for 33 prizes, including three pairs of Raptors tickets, Klean Kanteens, and gift packages from various local retailers including Earthwinds, Starbucks, the UW Federation of Students, and UW’s Retail Services and Food Services. All of the pieces displayed in the art exhibit – whether photographs, paintings, or mixed media – were eligible for a People’s Choice Award for Favourite Piece. The winner of this award, Christina Gatchene, will be receiving a gift card from Michaels.
The UW Sustainability Project was founded in 2003 and is fully funded by the Federation of Students at the University of Waterloo. The organization consists of an executive board of directors which currently oversees nine working groups on campus. UWSP is committed to promoting sustainable practices at the University of Waterloo and throughout the community through events and research.
For more information visit www.uwsp.feds.ca or contact the UW Sustainability Project at uwsp@feds.ca.
Photos:
1. Earth Hour participants enjoying jam session
2. Winning art submission by Christina Gatchene
Contact:
Tania Cheng and Danielle Woon
uwsp@feds.ca
519-888-4567 x32182
Discover more from thegreenpages
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
