The Idaho Business Review (Boise, ID)

November 20, 2008

NEWS

346 words

Wal-Mart Foundation gives 'greening' grant to World Winter Games in Idaho

IBR Staff Report

The Wal-Mart Foundation on Nov. 18 announced a $1.1 million grant to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho Feb. 7-13. The grant will be used to help launch a "Greening the Games" initiative to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the upcoming games, Wal-Mart and the Games said in a joint statement.

The foundation earlier this year awarded a $500,000 grant to the Games.

"As a valued employer of people with disabilities and a company that recognizes its responsibilities to the communities it serves, Wal-Mart is showing great corporate citizenship and civic virtue by contributing so generously to so worthy a cause," said Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter. "The Wal-Mart Foundation's assistance will help ensure the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games will be a legacy of accomplishment and success for Idaho and for the individual athletes and families involved. "

Through the "Greening the Games" initiative, the Wal-Mart Foundation's grant will help bring "green" buses into the World Winter Games fleet to provide transportation for athletes, coaches and supporters. The green buses will operate on ultra-low-sulfur diesel, and alternative to bio-diesel fuel or natural gas. The grant also will support a

recycling program at the games, aimed at recycling half of the materials used, and help source local food for the athletes in an effort to reduce transportation emissions.

With support from the Wal-Mart Foundation, the World Winter Games developed a Web site for the "Greening the Games" initiative (www.greeningthegames.org). The site provides information and tools to help visitors learn how to reduce their impact on the environment. The site features a carbon calculator, a carbon offset program, a blog on green initiatives and a list of eco-friendly ideas that can be applied to everyday life. The Wal-Mart Foundation will also help produce "How-to-Go-Green" kits that will be distributed to athletes, families and visitors at the games. The kits will provide eco-friendly ideas that they can take home and implement in their own communities.

November 21, 2008