Jessica Wickliffe
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2009-06-09T18:38:00Z
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Final media materials
Christi.Gallagher@wal-mart.com
Christi Gallagher
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BENTONVILLE, Ark., June 9
/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Small, every day changes can make a big
difference to the environment. Twenty schools from across the country that have
put this idea into practice are being recognized for their efforts: they’ve
been named finalists in the Walmart “Earth Day Every Day School Challenge.”
Each school will receive a $500 Walmart
gift card, which can be used to purchase items that will help enhance its
eco-friendly activities. In addition, the 20 finalists will have the
opportunity to compete for the grand prize: a $20,000 grant from Walmart to
further their environmental projects. The finalists were selected by three
independent judges (teachers and environmental experts) from among 439
qualified essays, which described the steps taken by each school to help make
the world a greener place.
“At Walmart, we believe that Earth Day should be every day,
and small changes can collectively make a big difference for the
environment,” said Matt Kistler, senior vice president of sustainability,
Walmart. “The schools that participated in the ‘Earth Day Every Day School
Challenge,’ especially the 20 finalist schools, are examples of young Americans
making a difference in their communities, and Walmart is honored to recognize
their efforts.”
To compete for the grand prize, the
finalists must submit a short video (three to five minutes in length)
showcasing the environmental activities and projects described in their essays.
The competing schools’ videos and essays will be posted at www.earthdayeverydaychallenge.com
, and from June 9 through June 19,
adults 18 years of age or older can vote on this site for the school they
believe should be awarded the grand prize, based on the following criteria
(weighted equally):
— Involvement of the student body in
initiating/continuing the eco-friendly activities/projects/efforts
— Demonstration of the school’s
commitment to eco-friendly practices
— Originality/creativity of the
eco-friendly activities/projects/efforts
The school that receives the highest
number of votes will be awarded the $20,000 grant. Individuals must register
with the website to cast a vote. The 20 finalists are (in alphabetical order):
Name of School School Location
One Eco-Friendly Activity
Arlington
Traditional Arlington, Va. Every day, the school practices
School simple stewardship: lights off,
copying double sided and
recycling paper, cans and
plastic
and using them in school
projects.
Beverly
Elementary Beverly Hills, The school’s environmental
School Mich.
initiatives earned it the
official Michigan Green
School
designation.
Corvallis
High School Corvallis, Ore. The students’ latest environmental
goal
is to install solar panels
on
the school.
Days
Creek Charter Days Creek, Ore.
Students in the Green Team class
School earned a Green School designation
through the Oregon Green
School
Association by conducting
a waste
audit
and proposing activities to
conduct at school.
East
Burke High Connely Springs,
Students produced biodiesel fuel
School N.C.
in the chemistry lab and used it
in
school buses.
Erie
Charter High Erie, Kan. After a 2007 flood, students have
School banded together to build a
gold-level LEED certified
“school
of the future.”
Fayette
Academy Somerville, Students initiated and performed
Tenn. an environmental evaluation of
the
school, presented their
findings to the board, and
proposed a new energy
policy.
Hood
River Valley Hood River, School has a wind turbine next to
High School Ore.
the football stadium, and a
year-long alternative
energy
resources class for
students.
Irvington
High Fremont, Calif. Took on the Flex Your Power
School Challenge in 2006 and reduced
their
energy consumption by 33
percent (equivalent of
129,000
kWh), tops in the state.
John
Hanson Oxon Hill, Md. Since 2004, the school has been a
Montessori School certified Green School by the
Maryland Association of
Environmental and Outdoor
Education.
Kelly
Creek Gresham, Ore. School has low flow sink aerators,
Elementary School dual
flush water saving toilets
and
new recycled content play
equipment.
Maple
Avenue Claremont, N.H. The three fifth grade classes
Elementary School decided to take the
reduce/reuse/recycle
mantra to
heart
and are trying to build a
greenhouse
from recycled
materials at the school.
Mountain
Laurel Front Royal, Students recently adopted a
Montessori School Va.
section of Happy Creek and
removed 25 bags of trash from its
waters and banks.
Old
Trails School Bath, Ohio Many students enjoy helping with
composting from the
cafeteria,
turning off lights in the
classrooms and
participating in
roadside garbage
collection twice
per year.
Redmond
High School Redmond, Wash. Student-led recycling efforts
have
diverted 9,715 pounds of
material from the waste
stream
this
school year, saving over 15
tons
of CO2.
Sandy
S. Miller Las Vegas, Nev. Students conduct experiments in
Elementary School the
school’s hydroponic lab; The
Desert Research Institute
donated
a
Greenpower Station (solar and
wind)
which generates the energy
needed for the lab.
Scottsbluff
High Scottsbluff, Students are assisting in the
School Neb.
renovation of unused courtyards
into outdoor classroom spaces,
which
will be xeriscaped with
native flora to reduce
water
consumption
and the use of
chemicals.
South
River High South River, The Environmentally Aware Rams
School N.J.
That Help (E.A.R.T.H.) Club is
comprised of students who work
hard
to make Earth Day every day.
West
Geauga High Chesterland, Students have built an Outdoor
School Ohio
Classroom area and started the
“Better Bulbs”
campaign in the
community.
Wilsonville
High Wilsonville, Since 2005, the school has been
School Ore. recognized as an Oregon Green
School for its waste
reduction
efforts.
For more information about the Walmart
“Earth Day Every Day School Challenge,” please visit www.earthdayeverydaychallenge.com
. For more information on how Walmart
can help customers save money and live green, visit www.walmart.com/green .
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Walmart
discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations in
the United States. The Company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile,
China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua,
Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The Company’s common stock is listed on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart
can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com . Online merchandise sales are
available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com .
SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.