MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Surrounded by environmental leaders and eco-friendly celebrities, the Grand Prize winners of The Green Awards™ program were unveiled on Friday at The Green Awards™ Celebration in Los Angeles, California. These eco-innovators were honored at a celebrity-studded event emceed by actress Amy Smart and HGTV star Carter Oosterhouse, and joined by other green celebrities including Ed Begley, Jr., Emmanuelle Chriqui, Frances Fisher, Beau Garrett and Reid Scott. The Green Awards program, developed by Green Giant® and supported by a coalition of the some of the country’s leading environmental organizations who make up The Green Awards program Awards Board, recognizes the everyday people who are making a giant difference in their communities and making our world a better, more sustainable place.
“This night was all about celebrating the little things that will have a huge impact on our planet,” said Amy Smart. Carter Oosterhouse continued, “It was inspiring to meet these men and women whose work represents fresh new ideas in the environmental movement.”
The Green Awards program Grand Prize and First Prize winners
Each Grand Prize winner from four different categories was awarded $25,000, and the eight remaining Finalists were awarded with a runner-up First Prize of $2,500 each, which is to be used as seed money toward that individual’s environmental initiative. The Grand Prize winners and First Prize winners are:
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Green Civic Leader
- Grand Prize Winner: Caden Hare, Rohnert Park, CA for “The F.A.B. Project.” Hare worked with a team to determine how to treat wastewater using less energy and increase biogas production by combining local organic wastes. His team is on the verge of making three discoveries which could help his city, and others, practice sustainability without financial stress.
- First Prize: Bruce Delgado, Marina, CA for “Marina Green Trails”
- First Prize: R.T. Rybak, Minneapolis, MN for “Nice Ride Bike Share”
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Green Entrepreneur
- Grand Prize Winner: Will Allen, Milwaukee, WI for “Will Allen.” After buying two acres of farmland, Will started teaching kids how to farm. Today, he has expanded to teach other farmers, teens and community members how to grow healthy food in small, unconventional spaces.
- First Prize: Andrew House, Bethesda, MD for “Power-Inverted”
- First Prize: Matt Zanetti, Minneapolis, MN for “A New Way to Move”
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Green Local Organizer
- Grand Prize Winner: Cate Arnold, Boston MA for “Giant Youth Leaders.” Cate advises middle and high school students in a climate change club and has created a model for greening schools and curriculum that is being replicated by other schools.
- First Prize: Jeff Chen, Fulton, MD for “Pickin’ Up America”
- First Prize: Heidi Coe, Blaine, MN for “Community Orchards”
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Green Parent
- Grand Prize Winner: Bea Johnson, Mill Valley, CA for “Zero Waste Families” Bea started a blog to share her tips to make it easy for families to live simply and waste free.
- First Prize: Pamela French, New York, NY for “Green School Films”
- First Prize: Paul Zehrer, San Anselmo, CA for “Spare Climate Change”
“Sustainability has been a part of the Green Giant brand for more than 50 years. We have taken many positive steps toward using less water, improving land efficiencies, and reducing the impact of our packaging, but we know there is more we can do and we are actively pursuing more initiatives on our journey,” said Andy Dahlen, Green Giant Marketing Director. “We established The Green Awards program to celebrate the efforts and dedication of people who are making an incredible impact on the planet and inspiring others to do the same. We know even the little steps can make a giant difference and this program generates awareness of the efforts of the finalists and provides them with award money to help them reach their goals.”
Meet the winners and stay informed on how they use their prize money to take their green ideas to the next level at www.THEGreenAwards.com.
The Green Awards program
Earlier this year, pioneering leaders, communities and everyday families from across the U.S. submitted a short video and essay that described their green initiatives at www.THEGreenAwards.com. Hundreds of entries were submitted in each of the four award categories. Twelve Finalists were chosen through a combination of consumer voting and a judging panel including members of The Green Awards program Awards Board comprised of some of the country’s top sustainability thought-leaders. Entries were judged based on three criteria: creativity and inspiration, impact on the community and beyond, and rationale for additional funding. The Finalist with the highest total score in each of the four award categories received the Grand Prize.
The Green Awards program Awards Board
The Green Awards program Awards Board represents an exciting collaboration of some of the country’s leading environmental organizations, which have joined together to support and advance the program and to ensure the utmost credibility of The Green Awards program. Members of The Green Awards program Awards Board include leaders from:
| American Rivers | Green For All | ||||||
| Bioneers | ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability | ||||||
| Defenders of Wildlife | League of Conservation Voters | ||||||
| Earth Day Network | National Tribal Environmental Council | ||||||
| Environment America | Native American Rights Fund | ||||||
| Environmental Defense Fund | Rainforest Alliance | ||||||
| Environmental Media Association | Surfrider Foundation | ||||||
| Environmental Working Group | The Nature Conservancy | ||||||
| Foundation Earth | The Wilderness Society | ||||||
| Green America | |||||||
Learn more about The Green Awards program Awards Board at www.THEGreenAwards.com.
About Green Giant
Green Giant started out in Le Sueur, Minnesota, as the Minnesota Valley Canning Company in 1903, when some 11,750 cases of white cream-style corn were sold in the company’s first year. For the past 100 years, the Giant’s Valley is where fresh and great-tasting vegetables are grown and picked at the peak of perfection. Green Giant has been implementing sustainability into the business since 1929 when the company introduced vacuum pack technology and Green Giant has plans to continue to become “greener” in the future. The brand is now part of General Mills, Inc.
About General Mills
One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Yoplait, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2010 global net sales of US$16 billion, including the company’s $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales.
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