Board releases final Earth Hour figures

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board has released its total number of participants in Earth Hour activities.

In a March 31 press release Communications Officer, Judy Malfara, stated 4,029 people had joined in activities to reduce power usage between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. on March 28. Last year 1,061 were involved.

Thirty-six families sent their stories to the board. Some of them are printed below.

"My sons and I were at a hockey tournament in Barrie on the weekend, during Earth Hour. All the kids on the team went in pairs door to door around the hotel asking everyone to unplug their coffee maker and microwave ovens (they thought most guests did unplug).

When we got to the restaurant (our reservations were for 8:00 pm), they asked if some of the lights could be turned down or off for Earth Hour; the restaurant obliged and we ate in very dim light. The kids thought they were doing a great thing. These are 12-year-old kids from our schools, so I think your message is getting out there.

The parents of these kids came back to rooms with everything unplugged, even the refrigerators. "

*****
"To celebrate Earth Hour we held a bonfire. We invited other families in the neighbourhood to join us. All together we had five girls (Grades 4, 5, and 6), my husband and myself, our son and five friends (in their early 20s). There were marshmallows, and chips, pizza, high spirits and lots of fun."

*****

"We played games by candlelight, a good old fashioned game of "Trouble" and "Outburst". It led to an entire family night, something these days is few and far between. Maybe we should cut to darkness once a month....help to save the earth and spend more time around the kitchen table. It would be a double bonus!"

*****
"My sons and I decided to have an Earth Day and the weather cooperated beautifully. We went to the zoo, to some different playgrounds and just played outside.

For the actual Earth Hour, we turned everything off and just played games that we made up as we went along. It was amazing quality time that sometimes technology keeps us from having.

They say we are in a connected world because of the cell phones, computers, etc., but the time I spent with my children on Earth Hour was far more rewarding than anything that we do with technology. I think we as a family will start our own Earth Hour once a week.

My husband was away on that weekend doing training for Scout leaders. 105 participants at the course all participated in Earth Hour and did their sessions by candlelight."