The Reliable One and Nemours Children’s Hospital are teaming up to celebrate the hospital’s grand opening by giving three area elementary students the chance to participate in a special lighting ceremony. The winners of an energy conservation-themed art contest will get the opportunity to turn on the hospital’s colorful room lights for the first time at a special ceremony Thursday, Oct. 4. In addition, each winner’s school will receive $1,000 for conservation education.
Students are asked to create a conservation message and illustration that shows why they “believe in conservation.” The contest is designed to encourage children to think about the benefits of saving energy. Qualifying entries will be posted on OUC’s Facebook page for voting, and the entry with the most “likes” from each of the three age categories will be named the winners. Participating students must reside in OUC’s service territory. Entries must be postmarked by Sept. 10, 2012. Entry forms, contest rules and eligibility guidelines can be found at www.ouc.com/believe.
“We are thrilled to be working with Nemours to promote the importance of energy conservation to our next generation,” says Roseann Harrington, OUCVice President of Marketing, Communications & Community Relations. “We’ve found that encouraging sustainable habits in children has a positive impact on our efforts to conserve our natural resources now and in the future.”
With classroom programs like the AWESOME Project and Water Color Project, OUC has long been committed to teaching children of all ages how to save energy and water, while helping families reduce their utility bills through conservation and efficiency. Nemours also is promoting going green at its own facilities.
“Nemours reaches beyond the care we provide in our clinics and hospital and focuses on the health of the whole child within the community,” says Roger Oxendale, CEO of Nemours Children’s Hospital. “With that commitment, it is natural for Nemours to take steps to protect the environment for our current patients and families and for future generations.”
Nemours Children’s Hospital recycled 90 percent of its construction waste, is using reclaimed water to irrigate its three garden areas, including a one-acre Discovery Garden, and providing electric car charging stations in the hospital parking garage. The hospital is also pursuing a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the facility.
