Join Green Bellevue for its annual Sarpy County Earth Day celebration on Sunday, April 24 at the Bellevue Public Schools Lied Activity Center. Come out for a day packed full of healthy, educational and green activities for all ages. This event offers a memorable, unprecedented and fun venue to raise awareness of the environmental needs in our community, and to educate about Earth friendly practices and why we must use them.
Green Bellevue President Don Preister will kick off the event with an opening ceremony, welcome speech and raising of the flag. New this year, we’ve added an educational speaker series from 12:10-3pm featuring presentations by local organizations. Hear from Let’s Eat Investment Group about local food networks; Gifford Farm about sustainable agricultural practices and youth programs; the NRD about an upcoming ballot initiative; Transduction Technologies about residential home energy audits and renewable energy systems; Nebraska Invasive Species Program about invasive species management; and The City of Bellevue about the new Pay-as-you-throw pilot program, public space recycling program, and management of organic waste in public parks.
Athletic events planned for the day include a 5k run/walk Âand indoor MixxedFit/ZUMBAthon. Registration for both athletic fundraising events includes a Green Bellevue membership and t-shirt, and greatly contributes to supporting Green Bellevue’s mission to promote a more beautiful and environmentally friendly community. You receive a discount when you sign up for both athletic events or when you sign up as a family, and Offutt employees and military can sign up free of charge. Students can sign up with the 2-for-1 price code “student.”
Additionally, the Earth Day celebration will include an indoor and outdoor Green Expo with over 50 exhibitors and vendors showcasing sustainable products and information. Find out how schools, local non-profit chapters, city services, animal rescues, neighborhood groups, and area organizations and businesses are going green! Talk to experts about wildlife and habitat conservation, renewable energy, local food production, recycling, green lifestyles and more. A lunch menu of delicious farm-fresh food will be provided by Orchard Hill Creamery out of Unadilla, NE, featuring artisan ice cream crafted by hand from animals reared in a pasture based, antibiotic-free, pesticide-free, GMO-free, low stress environment. There will also be grass-fed beef chipotle chile, vegan chile, green asparagus pasta salad, paninis and sandwiches, cookies, lemonade and green tea.
Free youth activities will include kite flying, nature crafts, environmental story telling, a recycling relay race, planting activities and face painting. Animal lovers can come face to face with exotic animals and several rescue dogs. And be sure to check out the Earth Day poster display (designed by elementary school students) and onstage Trashion Show – a runway show featuring outfits made completely from recyclable materials. Awards ceremonies will be conducted onstage for winners of the 5k and Trashion Show, as well as this year’s Environment Champion recipients.
AME Computers will once again be accepting electronic recycling, so bring along your old computers, cell phones, hand held games, game boxes, and small TVs (must be small enough to be handled by one person, if larger there is a $15 fee). Household appliances will not be accepted.
“Green Bellevue volunteers and sponsors are making available a wonderful Earth Day family event that will be ‘fun with a purpose.’ Come out to enjoy while learning ways to contribute to a better community. “said Preister. Sarpy County’s Earth Day celebration continues to grow each year, and this year’s event is no exception. Bring along your family and friends!
The event will be held on Sunday, April 24, 2016, from 12:00-4:00pm at the Bellevue Public Schools Lied Activity Center, 2700 Arboretum Drive, Bellevue, NE. This event is free and open to the public. Visit http://www.greenbellevue.org/earthday for details, including a schedule of events, registration information and flyers.
About Sarpy County Earth Day
Green Bellevue expanded the city’s Earth Day celebration to include the county in 2014. The 2016 Sarpy County Earth Day is hosted by Sarpy County, The City of Bellevue, Bellevue Public Schools and Green Bellevue volunteers and sponsors.
This event is sponsored by Sarpy County, Papillion Sanitation, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, Fitssentials, Butler County Landfill, Altrusa of Bellevue, First Star Recycling, Metropolitan Utilities District, Tobacco Free Sarpy, Wells Fargo Bank, ConvergenceCoaching, Nebraskans for Solar, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Consolidated Social Management and Bellevue Junior Sports Association.
About Green Bellevue
Green Bellevue is a 501(c)3 organization of volunteers who work with the support of our city leaders to promote a more beautiful and environmentally friendly community. It is a grassroots effort comprised of individual citizens, businesses and organizations, schools, and public entities from Bellevue, Sarpy County and the greater metro area. Green Bellevue helps individuals and groups undertake programs to enhance our neighborhoods, preserve our natural resources and foster stewardship of our environment.
For more information about Green Bellevue and upcoming meetings and events, visit
http://www.greenbellevue.org and http://www.facebook.com/Green.Bellevue.