For More Information Contact:

John Mitchell
Earth Day Steering Committee
(541) 341-8539 or 954-7528 (cell)
john.mitchell@eweb.eugene.or.us                

Steve Remington
Earth Day Steering Committee
(541) 517-6707
info@earthdayoregon.com

April 10, 2007

Celebrate the spirit of Earth Day 2007

In honor of age-old traditions of celebrating the planet, the “Spirit of Sustainability” is the theme of this year’s Earth Day Celebration slated for Saturday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Eugene Water & Electric Board’s River Edge Plaza.
 
This year’s event strives to capture the spirit of ancient celebrations honoring the sun, sky and earth with a myriad of activities aimed at teaching us how to live a more sustainable and ecologically-friendly lifestyle.

New to the celebration is a book sale and swap featuring earth-friendly publications and a kids art and writing contest addressing the question: What part of the Earth is most sacred to you? Adventure seekers will enjoy geocaching at this year’s event, sponsored by REI. Participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) device to locate caches hidden in the area, sort of a high-tech scavenger hunt.

Starting at 11:20 a.m. on the plaza stage with a welcome by Eugene Major Kitty Piercy, Earth Day Celebration 2007 will also feature live musical entertainment on two stages, educational booths and more.

The Earth Action area will feature more than 40 booths where non-profit, environmental and community organizations showcase information and demonstrations related to local, regional and global issues. Booth space is still available. Stop by the City of Eugene’s Solid Waste and Recycling booth for a chance to win a free composting bin.

The event will also include free trees at the EWEB booth, the John H. Baldwin Film and Lecture Series, tree climbing and the popular Procession of All Species. The procession is open to all who dress up to represent their favorite animal, vegetable, mineral or ecosystem. The parade starts at 2 p.m. and will once again be led by the infectious rhythms of Samba Já, Eugene’s own thirty-member mobile percussion ensemble. 

Main stage entertainment will include Conjugal Visitors from 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m., The T Club from 1-2 p.m., Inner Limits from 2:15-3:15 p.m., and Jupiter Hollow from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Acoustic stage entertainment will include Rob Tobias from 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Mary Ferris Vertulfo from 12:30 – 1:15 p.m., Al Rivers from 1:30 – 2:15 p.m., Elizabeth Cable from 2:30 – 3:15 p.m., and Forgotten Works from 3:30 – 4:15 p.m.

Lane Transit District will provide free bus service all day from the downtown station to EWEB’s River Edge Plaza with a stop at Saturday Market during event hours. Bicycle mechanics from Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life will be on hand to provide free tune-ups for anyone who rides to the event.

Funding for the event is provided through sponsorship and general donations. This year’s sponsors include: City of Eugene, EWEB, Eugene Weekly, KMTR-TV, LTD, Lane County Waste Management, STAR FM, Oregon County Fair, Schnitzer Steel, the Good Earth Home Show, REI, Rexius, Eden Pest Control, and Cumulus Broadcasting.