Green Pride Parade at Waste Expo
Exhibitors and attendees of the 2011 Waste Expo in Dallas were greeted by colorfully decorated trash carts that were part of an art competition fundraiser called “Carts on Parade” sponsored by The Environmental Industry Associations’ Women’s Council.
The Women's Council fosters the professional development of women in the waste industry while striving to increase their business, financial and leadership skills through education, workshops, mentoring, and networking. In addition, through such fundraising efforst, the Women’s Council offers scholarships to students in pursuit of a career in the environmental industry.
Inspired by the traveling Cow Parade, Kirsti Nelson, president of the EIA's Women's Council and director of marketing at Otto Environmental Systems, a manufacturer of two-wheeled carts, came up with the idea of decorating carts as a way to incorporate her company to raise money for the Women's Council's annual scholarship program.
"Carts on Parade was a way to reinvent fundraising while keeping it relevant to the waste industry by using waste carts, " she said.
Placed right outside the entrance to the exhibits for all to admire, 26 95-gallon wheeled trash carts were decorated with the EIA slogan, “Environmentalists. Every Day,” in mind.
Proceeds from “Carts on Parade” benefit EIA’s scholarship program, which is in its fifth year.
This year, the scholarship awarded three $5,000 scholarships to Nathan Gelderner, a 36-year-old father of three daughters who attends night school for business management at Argosy University; Courtney Lang, a high school senior from Parkland, Fla.; and Kaitlyn Trent from Ohio, who has a passion for environmental studies.
In total, the scholarship has awarded $50,000 to date.
About the Author
Sherleen Mahoney is a Web managing editor at 1105 Media.