Ready for 100 Columbus launched its public campaign on Earth Day this year with a spectacular event on the Scioto Mile greenway next to the city skyline.
There about 60 people gathered for an aerial art event using fabric and choreography to spell out a giant “100%” with huge sun rays shooting off the sides. Photographers on the ground and a drone in the sky captured the event with photos and video.
The event was designed to highlight Ready for 100’s goal of inspiring leaders across the country to embrace a vision of healthier communities powered by 100 percent clean energy. The Columbus campaign is asking city leaders to commit to 100 percent renewable energy community-wide by 2050 or before.
The aerial art project featured Columbus residents gathered information on Scioto Mile to spell out “100%.” The project was held in conjunction with the annual Earth Day Columbus celebration, sponsored by Green Columbus on Sunday, April 22, 2018.
By doing the aerial art project at the Earth Day Columbus celebration, the Ready for 100 team, hoped to draw attention to the campaign and get Columbus residents excited about the movement for renewable energy, said Cathy Cowan Becker, chair of Ready for 100 Columbus.
“We’ve seen strong support from the community, from both residents and city officials,” Cowan Becker said. “Our team has put a lot of hard work and effort into the campaign, and we’re extremely excited to launch our campaign on Earth Day with such a memorable project.”
The Ready for 100 Columbus team spent weeks planning for the event. Art director Eve Warnock of OBLSK marketing agency planned the fabric layout and choreography, in which participants did the “O-H-I-O” and lifted the fabric above their heads.
Communications chair Jackie Petre wrote a press release and put together a media list, netting coverage of the event from WSYX-TV Channel 6.
Campaign manager Stephen Aldrich wrote a message about the event, which mailing list guru Brittany Converse sent to almost 700 local supporters. Digital Chair Pelayo Montoto posted a message for more than 600 who have signed the Ready for 100 Columbus AddUp petition.
Ready for 100 movements in other cities, including Cleveland, have taken similar aerial art photos to launch their campaigns. Ready for 100 hopes to add Columbus to the growing list of cities, now at more than 70, that have officially committed to achieving 100 percent renewable energy community-wide by 2050 or before.
“By investing in renewable energy, we’re investing in the future of Columbus,” Cowan Becker said.
You can see highlights from the drone video of the event at https://www.facebook.com/Readyfor100Columbus/videos/2277087275851688/
Catch the WSYX-TV report at http://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/on-earth-day-a-new-art-display-calls-for-clean-energy-in-columbus
Sign the Ready for 100 Columbus AddUp petition at https://www.addup.org/campaigns/get-columbus-ohio-readyfor100-clean-energy-438532
To get involved in Columbus, contact Cathy Cowan Becker: becker.271@gmail.com
To get involved in Cleveland, contact Jocelyn Travis: jocelyn.travis@sierraclub.org