For More Information Contact:
Joe Harwood, 341-1879
Eugene Water & Electric Board

June 15, 2009

Eugene students launch “Light It Forward” campaign to save energy

A pair of third-grade classes at Camas Ridge Community School in Eugene will launch the “Light It Forward” campaign at 8 a.m. Tuesday, kicking off an innovative, student-inspired effort to put energy-efficient light bulbs into thousands of homes across the country.

Playing off the “Pay it Forward” movement – popularized by the 2000 movie of the same name – the students will “gift” an energy-saving compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb to someone they know and encourage the recipient to purchase another CFL and give it to another person, who in turn continues the “pay it forward” concept.

The students decided to initiate the campaign that hopes to change the world – one light at a time – following a spring 2009 presentation by John Femal, the Eugene Water & Electric Board’s education coordinator. Femal spoke about electricity, energy conservation and how installing a CFL in place of a standard incandescent bulb can reduce electric usage.

“We want the message of using compact fluorescents and also the importance of recycling them properly to spread throughout Lane County and across the country,” said Donna DuBois, one of the third grade teachers who helped students create the program.

Hoping to spread the word through the local community and beyond, the students came up with the plan that will give away 300 CFLs donated by EWEB.  Each CFL will include a numbered certificate that directs the recipient to the project’s Web site, which asks a few questions so the students can track the geographic impact of the program using an online map. Responses will also allow students to calculate the cumulative energy savings of the project.

“The class plans to send Light It Forward certificate No. 1 to President Obama,” Femal said. “The act of one student giving a CFL bulb to someone has the potential to send a ripple of good will focused on energy savings across the country.”

Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy will preside over the 8 a.m. kick-off event at the recently renamed Camas Ridge Community School (formerly Harris and Eastside), 1150 E. 29th Ave. The third-graders will be handing out CFLs along with the Light It Forward certificates to various parents and community members.

The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to a third party instead of the original person or “creditor.” The concept was first described by Benjamin Franklin in 1784. Visit the students’ Web site:  http://lightitforward.org.