Boulder Weekly and Eco-Cycle are teaming up to host the first-ever Boulderganic After Hours party this week to honor community members who have become leaders in sustainable living.
The event is open to the public and will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, at Rueben’s Burger Bistro, at Broadway and Walnut Street in Boulder.
Boulder Weekly and Eco-Cycle chose winners in five categories who are pushing the envelope toward creating smart, sustainable change in the Boulder community.
The winners (and their categories) are: Namasté Solar (Innovations in Business), County Commissioner Will Toor (Public Service), Citizens for Boulder’s Clean Energy Future (Activism), the Boulder County Farmers’ Markets (Nurturing Community) and the four founding schools in Eco-Cycle’s Green Star Schools program (Sustainability). Those schools are the Boulder Community School of Integrated Studies, Douglas Elementary, Horizons K-8 and High Peaks Elementary.
Boulderganic, a publication of Boulder Weekly that draws on Boulder’s reputation for embracing local products and living green, is released three times a year, in the spring, summer and fall. First published in 2009, it has grown to include a burgeoning online following as well as a column that runs weekly in the newspaper.
Eco-Cycle, which was created by Boulder residents 35 years ago, is one of the largest nonprofit recyclers in the United States and has an international reputation as a pioneer and innovator in resource conservation. They work locally, nationally and internationally to create model Zero Waste communities.
“Eco-Cycle is working to make our community a model for sustainability and eco-conscious living,” says Marti Matsch, Eco-Cycle communications director. “To make that happen, it will take the ingenuity and participation of all sectors of our society. We are so fortunate to have among us some of the greatest visionaries who are leading the way and demonstrating what the potential is for each sector — businesses, organizations, individuals, schools and institutions — to make a difference on a significant scale. If we combine and follow their efforts, we can blaze a trail for living in balance with our planet and its finite natural resources.”
David Grimsland, director of sales and marketing for Boulder Weekly, says the goal of Boulderganic is to become more than just a publication. He says that an essential component in taking the message of sustainable living to the next step is increased community involvement.
“The vision of Boulderganic is to be the catalyst for bringing people together and connecting the dots in the living local, living sustainable community,” Grimsland says.
Pamela White, Boulder Weekly editor, says Boulderganic is attempting to sharpen its focus on encouraging a community that is not only green and sustainable, but also independent.
“The more we can do for ourselves, the less we’re affected by economic trends and Wall Street crises,” White says. “We want to inspire people to move toward self-sufficiency and the reclaiming of their own lives.”
Boulderganic will be hosting several After Hours parties during the year to foster local involvement and maintain a more active role in the community.
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