Campus Groups Celebrate Earth Day 2010

VALDOSTA -- Valdosta State University will join the world in celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. Blazer Dining, operated by Sodexo Campus Services, and Students Against Violating the Environment (S.A.V.E.) invite the campus to participate in activities that celebrate the earth and honor its natural resources.

Blazer Dining's Fourth Annual Think Green Celebration

Blazer Dining kicked off the observance on Monday, April 19, with "Lights Out at Lunch" at Palms Dining Center. The staff turned off the lights to save energy as a sign of Sodexo’s commitment to energy conservation. On Tuesday, April 20, Palms Dining Center will pass out informational pamphlets about food waste and "Weigh the Waste” customers throw away at the end of each day. Sodexo will collaborate on Thursday, April 22, with the PB&J Campaign to encourage students and staff to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of a hamburger. According to Sodexo, one peanut butter and jelly sandwich can save 133 gallons of water and 24 square feet of land (compared to the overall cost to produce a burger). Each sandwich served will save 2.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. On Friday, April 23, Sodexo will donate food to the Valdosta Soup Kitchen, and its staff will volunteer by handing out meals at the facility to needy residents.

In addition to these events, several campus eateries will be selling refillable travel mugs. Palms Dining Center and Hopper Hall Dining will increase the amount of local and organic produce on their menus.

Call Blazer Dining Marketing Director Jenna Maroney at 229-333-7146 or visit http://services.valdosta.edu/dining/docs/2010thinkgreenfortheweb.pdf for more information.

S.A.V.E.'s Earth Day Celebration

S.A.V.E. will host an Earth Day Festival from 10-3 p.m. Saturday, April 24, in Valdosta’s Drexel Park. Open to the public, the event will feature live music, movies, free food, vendors, children’s games and raffles. A variety of speakers will discuss the implications of the proposed biomass plants in Valdosta. In addition, S.A.V.E. will announce the winners of its VSU residence hall energy competition.

In addition to attending the festivities, S.A.V.E. encourages the public to attend the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s Comment Hearing from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, at the City Hall Annex.

Call S.A.V.E. Representative Natasha Fast at 912-381-8874 for more information.

For more information about the global Earth Day initiative, go to the Earth Day Network Action Center Web site at www.earthday.org/earthday2010 .