By Shay Strawser
Over 100 Green Sports Alliance (GSA) teams and venues lit their venues green on October 6 in observance of Green Sports Day to green light sustainable action across the globe.
The global sustainable sports community is coming together to leverage the power of sports to increase awareness and action on the most pressing environmental and social challenges our world faces. GSA is partnering with South Pole to offset the energy used to light facilities green.
“The Seattle Seahawks and Lumen Field are proud to support Green Sports Day and the Green Sports Alliance by coming together to raise awareness for the importance of sustainability,” said Christy Briggs, Logistics and Sustainability Manager for the Seahawks and Lumen Field and GSA Board Member. “We believe our impact on the environment is exponentially greater as we seek to educate and inspire our fans to implement the reduction strategies that we use in-stadium in their own personal homes and workplaces.”
The Green Sports Alliance is advancing its partnership with the Sanneh Foundation by gifting 200 reusable fabric bags to the kids and families in St. Paul, Minnesota (thesannehfoundation.org). Recycled from fabric signage at the 2022 Green Sports Alliance Summit, the reusable bags are given another life, rather than heading to a landfill, in partnership with The Vomela Companies (vomela.com). Vomela went above and beyond to ensure the circularity of signage at the Summit.
“Given the incredible honor and responsibility bestowed upon the sports industry by President Barack Obama on October 6th in 2016, we have the opportunity to leverage the power of sports to minimize the impact from emissions in stadiums, arenas, and communities where we live, work and play,” said Roger McClendon, Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance. “On this Green Sports Day in 2022, we wanted to inspire a just transition to a circular economy with renewable energy, water conservation, and waste diversion at the top of mind to ensure a healthy environment for our communities. Thanks to all who joined us in Playing for the Next Generation as we share climate awareness with sports fans and encourage sustainable action within the sports industry.”
Shay Strawser is Associate Manager of Communications & Events with the Green Sports Alliance.