Earth Day 2017: Alliance Member Highlights

April 22nd marked the 47th Earth Day since its inception in 1970. Green Sports Alliance members celebrated Earth Day--and the weeks before and after--with a variety of sustainability-minded activities engaging their fans, communities, and staff members. Read on to learn more about a handful of our members' Earth Day activities and accomplishments. Would you like us to highlight your Earth Day and year-round sustainability news? Drop an email to kelley@greensportsalliance.org with details.

‍11th Hour Racing

‍As Vestas 11th Hour Racing crossed the Atlantic, skipper Charlie Enright and team director Mark Towill reflected on Earth Day noting, “We’re about to sail around an ice gate, and climate change is real, the ice gates of today are different to how they were many moons ago. Unless we can incite change we’re not going to see a change in action and a change in culture.”

‍Arizona Diamondbacks

‍The team encouraged everyone to “go green” during their Earth Day weekend matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The D-backs featured fan engagement and educational activities and reusable water bottle giveaways. Click here to read more.

‍Baltimore Ravens

‍In line with GamePlanEarth, a season-long environmental initiative established and led by the Ravens to help make Baltimore a more sustainable city, the Ravens and M&T Bank helped revitalize multiple neighborhoods in Baltimore. Approximately 100 volunteers comprised of staff from both the Ravens and M&T Bank split up and spent their day under the guidance of local organizations whose missions support environmental efforts that better the quality of life in Maryland, including the Parks & People Foundation, Waterfront Partnership and Blue Water Baltimore.

‍Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, Aramark & Waste Management

‍Waste Management in partnership with the Boston Red Sox and Aramark, celebrated Earth Day 2017 a bit early with a post-game waste sort event at Fenway Park in Boston. The event followed the Red Sox’ traditional Patriots Day – Marathon Monday morning game vs. the Tampa Bay Rays. Volunteers joined employees of the three organizations along with Major League Baseball’s facility operations senior coordinator, Jason Kobeda, and the City of Boston’s recycling policy director, Susan Casino in sorting trash inside Fenway Park immediately following the game.

‍Charlotte Hornets, Spectrum Center, Natur-Tec & More

‍Showcasing the power of partnerships, a long list of stakeholders told the story of their waste reduction and recycling program implementation at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. The case study includes a description of their waste characterization study, highlights the emphasis placed on staff training, and outlines the various obstacles and solutions encountered during implementation.

‍Cleveland Indians

‍The Indians recently collaborated with Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management on a report to quantify sustainability efforts at Progressive Field.

‍Green Sports Alliance

‍In conjunction with the Portland Timbers Stand Together, Alliance staff volunteered pulling invasive weeds/ivy with the The Forest Park Conservancy. Click here to see more.

‍Keene State College

‍At Keene State College Earth Day is every day—the core values of sustainability, personal well-being, and the well-being of the planet, are celebrated all year long. Earth Day and the week leading up to it provide a special focus for their community to look at how to incorporate these values into their daily operations, academic programming, and service opportunities. Click here to read more.

‍LA Galaxy & StubHub Center

‍In celebration of Earth Day, the LA Galaxy and StubHub Center hosted Protect the Pitch Day during their match against Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday, April 23rd to showcase the LA Galaxy’s committed effort to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly in all facets of operations. The team hosted and participated in a variety of community events demonstrating its sustainability efforts throughout the week leading up to the match. Click here to read more.

‍Major League Baseball

‍“From the new LED field lighting at Camden Yards to the electric vehicle charging stations at SunTrust Park; from the new Green Team at Progressive Field to fresh landscaping around Dodger Stadium; from Boston's carbon-neutral game to the garden at Safeco Field; from the Rays' efforts to help oyster reefs to the eighth annual Green Week in St. Louis, Major League Baseball and all 30 of its clubs were ready to celebrate environmental stewardship on Earth Day.”

‍Major League Baseball - Commissioner's Office

‍Dozens of front-office employees at the Commissioner's Office, MLB Advanced Media and MLB Network volunteered at the New York Cares Spring Day at Lincoln Terrace Park in Brooklyn. Volunteers were tasked with removing invasive seedlings, composting, planting ground covers and clearing the park of debris -- from morning to afternoon. ‍

Minnesota Twins & Target Field

‍The Minnesota Twins today announced that they have received LEED Gold certification in Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance.

‍NASCAR®

‍NASCAR® announced its fifth annual NASCAR Race to Green™ initiative which builds awareness around the programs NASCAR®, the industry, and multiple partners have developed to reduce its carbon footprint.

‍National Basketball Association

‍NBA Green will join the global celebration of the 47th annual Earth Day by officially launching the NBA Green Energy All-Star campaign to highlight the NBA’s commitment to energy efficiency and renewable energy.

‍North Carolina State University & Reynolds Coliseum

‍Just in time for Earth Day, NCSU achieves LEED Silver certification for their recent renovation of its Reynolds Coliseum. Reynolds is the 15th NCSU university building since 2011 to earn LEED certification, bringing the total amount of LEED-certified space on campus to more than 1 million square feet. Click here to read more.

‍Novelis, Andrew Ference & Discovery Education

‍Novelis, Andrew Ference (Alliance Board Member), and Discovery Education launched a new program called  “Life of a Can”, a brand new elementary recycling education program that allows students to explore what the impact is of recycling just one aluminum can.

‍Portland Timbers & Portland Thorns

‍With the help of local community partners and the city of Portland, the Portland Timbers, and Portland Thorns FC presents their sixth annual Stand Together Week in 2017. The comprehensive, week-long community initiative supported dozens of nonprofit projects and volunteer opportunities across the city. Click here to read more.