More than 200 attend Corps Earth Day celebration in Pahokee
30 Apr 2009
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — More than 200 people attended a Corps of Engineers special Earth Day celebration in Pahokee on Saturday, April 25. Far more than that, though, were touched by this event.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District organized a “Critters of the Everglades” 2009 Earth Day Celebration in Pahokee, a historic city on the shore of Lake Okeechobee. The purpose was to raise awareness of the value of the natural environment, Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades; and to help create future stewards of the natural resources.
By all accounts, the event was very successful.
More than 200 adults and children from as far away as Florida City attended the celebration that started at 11 a.m. They enjoyed original artworks by local elementary school children, played “Name That CERP Sound” game, viewed multimedia presentations, and walked away with Earth-friendly shopping bags, backpacks, and other fun and informational items.
Children play a quiz about the Everglades and get prizes at the Corps of Engineers 2009 Earth Day celebration in Pahokee.
The event was held at the Lake Okeechobee Outpost, a new marina and recreation complex in Pahokee. The Outpost is one of the few structures built inside the Herbert Hoover Dike. As a result, visitors enjoy breathtaking views of the second-largest freshwater lake in the continental United States.
Bernadette Morris, president of Sonshine Communications which helped organize the event, said it appeared to be very successful. “Children and adults had a great time,”she said. “We hope it also helped to encourage an appreciation of the natural environment by young people.”
In addition to more than 200 visitors, many other people were touched by the celebration indirectly:
- More than 300 students created original artworks of the Everglades in March and April, that were on display at the Earth Day event. These will remain on display in May. Ten schools in communities around Lake Okeechobee participated.
- Local radio station WSWN “Sugar 900” broadcast live throughout the day. Thousands of listeners heard interviews with Corps employees Kim Taplin, Susan Jackson and Erica Robbins, Corps community liaison Ted Roberts, and others. Interviews covered the value of restoring the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee, the role of the Corps in Lake Okeechobee, the strengthening of the Herbert Hoover Dike, and the Earth Day event.
- Damon Weaver, a 10-year-old TV journalist from Canal Point Elementary School, recorded several future broadcasts from the event. Damon received national recognition this past fall for an interview he conducted with then Vice President-elect Joe Biden.
- Four organizations generously donated refreshments or supplies: Pahokee Chamber of Commerce, Save-a-Lot food store, Palm Beach Aggregates and Thriftway Store. Brothers of Queen Esther Lodge #61 organized a free lunch for all participants that included hotdogs, chips, cookies and bottled water.
A young visitor plays a spinning wheel game with Erica Robbins, Corps outreach program specialist.
Contact for this page:
For more information on the Corps Earth Day 2009 celebration, please call 561-472-8885.
