The New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee announced today the launch of their Environmental Program, which will run from now until New Orleans hosts the Super Bowl in 2013. The mission of this program is to integrate environmental ethics and concentrate on the carbon footprint left behind at all events managed by the NFL and the Host Committee.
To inaugurate the program, Host Committee officials unveiled plans to repurpose and recycle over 30,000 feet of Super Bowl and Pro Bowl décor items from the Saints Super Bowl victory in South Florida.
In 2010, following the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl victory in South Florida, the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee was offered, and took delivery of, over 30,000 linear feet of Super Bowl and Pro Bowl décor elements from the NFL. Jack Groh, NFL Environmental Program Coordinator, who rescued the material on its way to a landfill, contacted Sam Joffray, Associate Executive Director of the Host Committee, with an offer to take delivery and responsibility of the material that would have been otherwise discarded. Knowing the value of the material in the city of the Super Bowl Champions, Groh quickly agreed to arrange the handoff of the material to New Orleans, “Finding new ways to use materials – rather than dispose of them – is a key element of environmental stewardship. The new material reuse initiative of the New Orleans Host Committee is a great step forward in this area.”
Joffray accepted the opportunity and challenge to create a new generation of uses, and legacy, for the material, “Since taking delivery of the decorative stadium and hotel banners, the Host Committee has been working with community partners to repurpose and recycle these commemorative pieces of Saints history. The repurposing of these items couldn’t have proven to be a more exciting and rewarding inaugural project of the Host Committee’s Environmental Program, which will implement a number of legacy programs between now and 2013.”
In the summer of 2010, the Host Committee partnered with the Green Project and REpurposing NOLA to store the truckload of material until it was developed into a line of items that would appeal to environmentally conscience consumers, as well as die-hard sports fans; including travel bags, shower curtains and bean bag chairs.
REpurposing NOLA has been utilizing excessive, discarded fabrics from our community to create designer goods since 2005, and the opportunity to work with such a coveted material immediately attracted owner Traci Claussen, “It is inspiring to have powerful organizations like the NFL and the Super Bowl Host Committee lead the field in corporate environmental responsibility. This single gesture allows us all to give back to the community, as well as the planet, and I am extremely honored to be part of this moment in history.”
A portion of the banner materials will be donated to local non-profits for fundraising, raffles and auction items. The Green Project will be selling tickets to raffle one intact Super Bowl banner on Monday, September 20, the day of the Saints Monday Night game vs San Francisco. Additionally, the Host Committee and REpurposing NOLA are creating and donating youth bandanas to local hospitals, which will benefit pediatric cancer patients who are currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
All of the proceeds from the public sales will benefit future projects for the Host Committee’s Environmental Program. To shop online, or to find a retail location selling the Host Committee items near you, please visit www.nolasuperbowl.com.
Working with the NFL Environmental Program, the Host Committee will launch a number of legacy programs between now and 2013, when New Orleans will host its 10th Super Bowl. To learn more about all of the Host Committee efforts, please visit www.nolasuperbowl.com.
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Media Contacts:
Sam Joffray, New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee
(504) 234-3207, sjoffray@gnosf.org
Jack Groh, NFL Environmental
(401) 952-0886, nflenvironment@aol.com
Other Resources:
The Green Project, www.TheGreenProject.org, (504)945-0240
Repurposing New Orleans, www.RePurposingNola.com, (504) (504)945-0240
