ATLANTA, Dec. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pre-teen
members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta's Malon D. Mimms unit in Canton, Ga., have been awarded first prize in
the 2014 Torch Club National Project ENERGY STAR® Heroes: Be
Your Own Amazing for their creative problem-solving to reduce
energy consumption. Through the partnership between the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) ENERGY STAR program and
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), thousands of young people
are learning how to reduce energy use and lower energy bills at
home and in the community.
This year's Torch Club National Project was also supported by
Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment, and incorporated The Amazing Spider-Man 2 theme.
Club members were encouraged to "Be Your Own Amazing" and join
Spider-Man in an effort to stop the senseless waste of energy.
Members of the Malon D. Mimms Boys & Girls Club's Torch
Club, a character and leadership program for Club youth ages 11-13,
created and executed a plan to reduce energy costs for Club members
and their families. The Torch Club members hosted an educational
day for members and parents, including a guest presentation from a
local ENERGY STAR representative. They then launched a "blackout"
challenge to encourage each family to devote one hour per day to no
– or low – energy usage. Torch Club members learned how to track
energy usage and costs online through www.energystar.gov and shared
these numbers, as well as ways to reduce energy costs, with their
parents. This energy savings project was selected out of more than
100 entries nationally to receive the top honor, which includes a
$1,700 cash award to benefit the
Club, an ENERGY STAR-certified flat screen TV, courtesy of Samsung,
and DVDs of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 from Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment.
"Educating our children about energy usage and its impact on the
planet is exceedingly important, as the habits they learn now will
likely continue into adulthood," said Romero Brown, National Vice President, Program,
Training & Youth Development Services for BGCA. "Through the
ENERGY STAR Heroes contest, our members learn critical lessons
about energy savings that they can spread to their own families and
communities."
The Torch Club ENERGY STAR Heroes competition teaches BGCA
members across the country about energy usage and its various
effects on the environment. The final entries were reviewed by a
panel of judges and ranked based on project complexity and
creativity, impact on other youth, participation and involvement,
and adaptability for other Clubs. One first prize winner was
selected, in addition to four finalists, who received cash prizes.
These four finalists, include:
- Second Place – $1,000:
Lil'Bosses Torch Club, Fink-White Boys & Girls Club, Boys
& Girls Clubs of Fresno County,
California
Lil'Bosses Power Saving Event – This project focused on saving
water and using less energy, impacting the Club and community.
Torch Club members used this event to educate and promote energy
conservation throughout the Club and community.
- Third Place – $700:
Be The Change Torch Club, Boys & Girls Club of Desert Hot Springs, Boys & Girls Clubs of
Coachella Valley, California
#GreenItUp – This was a 12-week campaign teaching Club members,
parents, community and friends about the importance of energy
conservation. Torch Club members facilitated energy presentations,
created a pledge tree and hosted a GreenItUp party.
- Fourth Place – $600: Brave Heroes Torch Club, Boys &
Girls Club of La Conner, Boys
& Girls Clubs of Skagit County,
Washington
ENERGY STAR Puppet Pals – This puppet show was created, scripted,
set-designed and acted by Torch Club members for the Club. The
"puppets" taught about water conversation, recycling and saving
energy.
- Fifth Place – $500:
Vickers Torch Club, Jack A. Vickers
Boys & Girls Club, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro
Denver, Colorado
Be an Energy STAR: Building Awareness Among Youth – Torch Club
members created an energy audit for the Club, and measured energy
used and their relative costs. Members also developed an
informational movie and games to inform others about energy.
Samsung also donated five TVs to merit Club winners, including
the Mar Vista Gardens Branch in Santa
Monica, Calif., Jim & Jan Moran Unit in Broward County, Fla., Boys & Girls Clubs
of Cape Cod in Mashpee, Mass., The Youth Program at RAF
Mildenhall in Suffolk, U.K. and
Jefferson County Boy & Girls Clubs in Denver, Colo.
The ENERGY STAR Heroes program is a part of EPA's Change the
World Tour, which brings public and private organizations together
to make a difference in people's lives through energy efficiency.
The theme of the tour is "The Power of Positive Energy" as it
demonstrates how energy efficiency can be a pathway to positive
change, showcasing not only the difference energy efficiency can
make for individuals and communities, but also the collective
difference it can make in the fight against climate change. EPA is
leveraging the tour to inspire others to consider what the power of
positive energy means to them and how they can make a
difference.
"EPA is thrilled to work with BGCA and to have their Torch Club
National Project focus on ENERGY STAR and be featured as part of
our Change the World community service tour," said Jill Vohr, director of consumer marketing, EPA
ENERGY STAR. "We hope these projects will inspire other Torch
Clubs and the general public to engage in the opportunity of energy
savings and the important issue of climate change."
Torch Clubs are small groups within Boys & Girls Clubs
that encourage positive self-esteem and personal growth; build
communication skills; reinforce academic achievement; and encourage
the development of conscientious citizenship. The Torch Club
program's mission is to motivate pre-teens to become role models
and ambassadors who promote good character, tolerance, diversity
and inclusion among peers. Support from EPA enables BGCA to
continue to provide training, programming and resources to help
meet the needs of pre-teens at this critical stage in their
development.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than
100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org)
has changed and saved lives, enabling young people to
achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
Today, more than 4,100 Boys & Girls Clubs
serve nearly 4 million children and
teens through Club membership and community outreach.
Clubs are located in neighborhoods throughout the country
and on U.S. military installations worldwide, providing a
wide variety of youth development programs conducted by
trained, professional staff. Key programs emphasize academic
success, good character and citizenship, and healthy
lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the
Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in
Atlanta.
About EPA's ENERGY STAR Program
ENERGY STAR is the
simple choice for energy efficiency. For more than 20 years, people
across America have looked to EPA's ENERGY STAR program for
guidance on how to save energy, save money, and protect the
environment. Behind each blue label is a product, building, or home
that is independently certified to use less energy and cause fewer
of the emissions that contribute to climate change. Today, ENERGY
STAR is the most widely recognized symbol for energy efficiency in
the world, helping families and businesses save $300 billion on utility bills, while reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by two billion metric tons since 1992.
Join the millions who are already making a difference at
energystar.gov.
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered
in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung
Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovation leader
in consumer electronics design and technology. A wholly owned
subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA delivers a broad
range of digital consumer electronics, IT and home appliance
products. Samsung is the market leader for HDTVs in the U.S and
America's fastest growing home appliance brand. To discover more of
the award-winning products you love with Samsung, please visit
www.samsung.com.
About Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures
Home Entertainment (SPHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
company. SPE is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a
subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony
Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture
production and distribution; television production and
distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a
global channel network; digital content creation and distribution;
operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment
products, services and technologies; and distribution of
entertainment in more than 159 countries. For additional
information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi
action/violence. © 2014 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and
LSC Film Corporation. Marvel, Spider-Man and all related character
names and their distinctive likenesses: TM & © 2014 Marvel
Entertainment, LLC and its subsidiaries. All Rights
Reserved.
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