Wyland annual campaign presented by Toyota, issues challenge to mayors to inspire residents to see who can be the most “water wise”
- In 2016, residents from 4,100 cities participated and pledged their commitment to reducing water consumption by 1.9 billion gallons
- Kickoff event at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, on April 3 will feature national
- and local leaders promoting the importance of water conservation
IRVINE, Calif., and BLOOMINGTON, MN. (February 23, 2017) – Mayors across the country will be asking residents to help ensure the sustainability of the nation’s water resources by taking part in the sixth year of a national contest aimed at reducing water waste and pollution.
Presented nationally by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota, the non-profit National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, April 1-30, is a friendly, community based competition between cities that encourages residents to makes a series of water conservation pledges on behalf of their city online at mywaterpledge.com. Winning cities are those with the highest percentage of residents who take the challenge. Participating residents from those cities are entered to win hundreds of eco-friendly and water saving prizes, including a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Plug-in Hybrid vehicle, home irrigation makeovers with Toro water-saving products, home cleaning products from ECOS, and home improvement store gift cards.
The community service campaign was created in 2011 to supplement existing municipal programs for water conservation awareness, to promote drought resiliency and healthy watersheds, and to reduce stress on aging water infrastructure. Last year, residents from 4,100 cities participated and pledged to reduce water consumption by 1.9 billion gallons — or roughly enough water to fill 2,877 Olympic-size swimming pools.
In association with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The Toro Company, National League of Cities, Conserva Irrigation, and Earth Friendly Products (makers of ECOS), the challenge brings together all facets of the community to promote the sustainable use of water resources. Students and teachers can take part in the pledge, too, by accessing a special section of the website at www.mywaterpledge.com/kids. Once there, teachers can download lesson plans on water conservation, make the pledge on behalf of their classes, and enter to win classroom supplies and gift cards for their school.
In keeping with the tradition of kicking off the campaign in the state of a past winner, the 2017 national kickoff will take place on Monday, April 3, from 10 am to 3 pm, at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Last year, the City of Andover (Minnesota) was the top-ranked city in the 30,000-100,000 population category. A press conference will be held from noon-1 pm. The event will also host a number of organizations and causes with focus on the environment and improving water efficiency.
Additionally, Minnesota will also be the launching pad for the Wyland Foundation’s “Rolling Down the Mississippi Tour,” a month-long educational initiative in support of the challenges faced by cities along the Mississippi River watershed. The initiative, with additional support from National Van Lines, will include a community tour with a water quality expert in a custom-designed Toyota Prius Prime Plug-in Hybrid, and stops from the Clean Water Mobile Learning Experience – an interactive 1,000-square-foot experience on wheels that has been on a national tour in support of the challenge.
About the Wyland Foundation
Founded in 1993 by environmental artist Wyland (best known for his series of 100 monumental marine life murals), the Wyland Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, has helped millions of children and families around the nation to rediscover the importance of healthy oceans and waterways through public art programs, mobile exhibits, and classroom science education, and live events. Learn more at www.wylandfoundation.org
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to advancing mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we’ve produced more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold almost 2.6 million cars and trucks (2.45 million in the U.S.) in 2016 – and about 85 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15 years are still on the road today.
Steve Creech
Wyland Foundation
949-436-2489
steve.creech@wylandfoundation.org
Source: The Wyland Foundation
