Environmental Celebration Sunday

The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County will be celebrating their 43rd year of working to protect and preserve the environment in the county at their Annual Meeting and Theta Award Ceremony on Sunday, March 10th.

The event will be held at the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus, 2710 S. Country Club Road, Woodstock, beginning at 5:00 p.m. with social time, a raffle and silent auction prior to dinner at 5:30 pm.

Following the dinner, the Defenders will present their annual Theta Award. Theta is the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet, and has come to be a symbol of the threat of pollution to Earth and its atmosphere. It is usually displayed on a flag of green stripes, representing unspoiled land and white stripes denoting pure air. In 1970, the Defenders chose this symbol and title for their award honoring an individual or group who has shown an outstanding commitment to improving the environment of McHenry County.

The program for the evening begins at 7:00 p.m.  Speakers at the event will share their passion for protecting our environment through environmental advocacy.  The first will be Jennifer Walling, Director of the Illinois Environmental Council, a state-wide group that promotes sound environmental policy and protections for land, air, water, wildlife, and human health in the State of Illinois.  Young activist Abby Goldberg will also give a presentation about her successful campaign to obtain a veto from Governor Quinn of the environmentally harmful plastic bag bill that was promoted by plastic bag manufacturers last year.

The public is invited to attend. Tickets may be purchased on the Defenders’ website at www.mcdef.org through March 1st. The cost of $50 for non-members includes a one-year family membership. The program alone is free with advanced reservations. Contact the Defenders’ office at 815-338-0393 or mcdef@owc.net to RSVP or for more information.

The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the environment. The group provides community residents with educational programs and volunteer action on pollution prevention, sustainable land use and energy and natural resource conservation. Donations are encouraged and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions. For more information, visit www.mcdef.org or call 815-338-0393.