CamelBak is giving the next generation’s environmental leaders a chance to run their own grassroots campaigns to wipe out disposable water bottles in their local communities, showing how small localized efforts can have a big, collective impact.
CamelBak is proud to be The Official Water Bottle of the first Outdoor Nation Youth Summit and Festival, June 19-20, in New York’s Central Park. In addition to providing 1,000 CamelBak reusable bottles to keep the delegates, organizers, and volunteers well-hydrated during the event, the company unveiled a $5,000 micro-grant program for the young delegates. Ten delegates with the most innovative, creative and engaging ideas for motivating people in their home towns to ditch disposable water bottles will receive 100 CamelBak reusable water bottles and a $500 grant. The grants will be awarded by the end of July.
Plastic water bottle production for U.S. consumption requires 1.5 million barrels of oil per year. That much energy could power 250,000 homes or fuel 100,000 cars for a year, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. A Cornell University professor reports that of the 30 billion plastic water bottles sold in the U.S. annually, only 12 percent are recycled, leaving the rest to end up in the trash and landfills, where it takes thousands of years to decompose.
The Outdoor Nation Youth Summit and Festival brought together young people from across the country to start a youth-driven movement that encourages sport and play in the outdoors. Supported by the Outdoor Foundation and a coalition of more than 50 organizations, the event turned Central Park into the ultimate playground last weekend, complete with concerts and activities ranging from bouldering to kite flying. The Summit convened the first-ever youth-led event on the outdoors, where delegates from every state worked on a national agenda to champion the outdoor youth movement.
CamelBak sponsored three youth delegates who traveled to the Outdoor Nation event to participate in the Summit activities. They are: Zach Bauer of St. Cloud, Minn.; Jaime Chaifetz of Tallahassee, Fla.; and Larissa Consolagio of Queensbury, N.Y. These young leaders will chronicle their experiences through social media posts during and after the event.
“Outdoor Nation gives young, future leaders a voice today in promoting healthy outdoor lifestyles and creating cleaner environments that people can enjoy for years to come,” said Sally McCoy, CEO of CamelBak. “Big changes start with small, individual acts. New York City will be the epicenter of a revolution, and through our grant program, we will be giving the delegates a tool to make an immediate change within their communities.”
