VSU Celebrates Earth Day Through April 24

VALDOSTA - Valdosta State University's Climate Council and its student environmental organization, S.A.V.E., will host an Earth Day Festival from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, in Drexel Park.

Open to the entire community, the event will feature live music, movies, food, vendors, children’s games, raffles and a relief sale. Biology professor Dr. Brad Bergstrom, and philosophy and religious studies professor Dr. Ari Santas will speak at the event and S.A.V.E. members will collect food, toys, games, books and other supplies for donation to Second Harvest and the YMCA to help replace items lost in the recent flood.

VSU's Climate Council, formed in early 2009, encourages environmental awareness in everyday operations to reduce VSU’s carbon footprint. In addition to the council and S.A.V.E., sponsors include Publix, Valdosta Daily Times and the Valdosta-Lowndes Parks & Recreation Authority. Businesses participating in the raffle are Barberitos, Locos, Little Caesars, Crystal River Seafood and Cici’s Pizza.

Volunteers are needed for setup/cleanup, arts and crafts, face painting, refreshments, raffles, informational tables and many other aspects. E-mail Megan Wood at mmwood@valdosta.edu to volunteer or for more information.


Other environmental events at VSU include:

Trash For Cash:
Blazer Dining is hosting a Recycle Art Contest at Palms Dining Center, entitled: Trash For Cash … Blazer Bucks That Is. VSU students are encouraged to make art out of recycled materials for a chance to win big prizes, including $50 in Blazer Bucks. The contest is designed to highlight the creative talents at VSU and increase environmental awareness and good stewardship through recycling. Entry forms and recycled goods can be picked up at Palms Friday, April 17th. Entries must be submitted no later than Wednesday, April 22nd at 8:00 p.m. where they’ll be put on display at Palms. First, second and third place winners will be announced on Thursday, April 23rd.

Local Produce:
For many it is more appealing to buy fresh, locally grown food. Not only does it reduce the carbon dioxide emissions when traveling a shorter distance, but it’s also more often a more nutritional choice and supports local businesses. On Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22nd Palms Dining Center will feature locally grown produce at the peak of their growning season. Look for a listing of farms and seasonally available products offered at Blazer Dining.

Recycle Relays:
In an effort to increase recycling efforts on campus and in the dining facilities, Blazer Dining has challenged VSU’s Residence Halls to see who will collect the most recycled goods since mid March. On Thursday, April 23rd between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. they’ll have a chance to produce their results at Palms and the winners will get a free pizza party. Later that evening, at 6:00 p.m., all the recycled items will be reused during a Recyle Relay at Palms to test knowledge and speed as teams race to the finish line to creatively sort items that can be recycled on campus.

Sodexo Servathon:
Blazer Dining, operated by Sodexo Campus Services, will volunteer to serve more than 150 people at the Valdosta Soup Kitchen on Friday, April 24, 2008, in their continued support to help stop hunger. This local effort is part of Sodexo Servathon, a company sponsored, month-long program that encourages employees to work to fight hunger in their communities and to promote hunger awareness of the many families that struggle to put food on the table every day. Each April, thousands of Sodexo employees raise money, donate food and serve meals in communities across the country.