This was written by: Brittney Gordon-Williams, a member of the ENERGY STAR communications team at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
I always get a special feeling when I walk into a Boys & Girls Club. Whether the club is in Albany, GA or Washington, D.C., the atmosphere is one that that is hard to explain, unless you have been there. From the minute you walk in, you can literally feel the positive vibes, and it instantly shows you that the kids inside of those walls are getting the kind of care and support that one needs to grow into a positive and successful adult. I felt those positive vibes on a whole new level as EPA visited the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, NJ for their ENERGY STAR Day celebration.
In honor of ENERGY STAR Day on November 5th, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), along with Samsung Electronics, planned a celebration of the great work they did to save energy over the past year. Thousands of club kids from across the country joined Team ENERGY STAR in 2013, learning about saving energy and protecting the climate. From turning off lights when not needed, to power managing their computers and shutting down unused electronics, BGCA kids learned that anyone—no matter their age—can make a difference and protect the environment from climate change. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America could have picked any of their clubs to hold their ENERGY STAR Day celebration, but the Atlantic City club has a special story.
Last year the club was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy, and a year later still needed significant work done to get it back up and running at full force. Many of these kids already had to deal with the destruction of their homes and neighborhoods, making the club even more important to their sense of normalcy. Samsung Electronics heard about the needs of the club and stepped in to offer over $14,000 in ENERGY STAR certified new products to the club. Energy efficient items like the brand new refrigerator, dishwasher and TV will help the club to save energy and money for years to come, allowing extra money to be funneled back into programs for the club kids.
The BGCA held a big ENERGY STAR Day Family Night to unveil the refurbished club, and families from across Atlantic City came out to see the improvements and to learn about energy efficiency. BGCA even unveiled a new book called “Tales From Team ENERGY STAR,” showcasing energy-saving stories written by club kids across the country. EPA was proud to participate in this event, and invited attendees to take their ENERGY STAR Day celebration one step further. Participants were asked to “Do 1 Thing ENERGY STAR” by trying out an ENERGY STAR certified LED bulb. The ENERGY STAR certified LED giveaway was a huge success and helped people across Atlantic City get their first experience with the latest in energy efficient lighting technology.
Are you ready to take the plunge and try something new to save energy? You can join EPA and “Do 1 Thing ENERGY STAR.” Just check us out on Facebook and Twitter for a new action every week.
Let EPA show you how saving energy, saving money and protecting the climate can be a simple and rewarding way to change the world by protecting the climate.