Marcal Announces Green Heroes Award Winners

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Marcal Manufacturing, Elmwood Park, N.J., USA, this past week kicked off Earth Month by announcing the five "green heroes" selected as recipients of its inaugural Small Steps for Big Change Awards. Marcal notes that he five eco-crusaders were selected from many nominations it received "because the small steps they have taken made an impact in their local communities, helped to improve the environment, and inspired others to get involved." To continue their good work, they are receiving a total of $10,000 to be made as donations in their names to the environmental charities of their choosing.

"We set out to find everyday environmental heroes who embody Marcal Small Steps' philosophy that small changes can make a big impact, and were blown away by the inspiring nominations from across the country," said M.J. Jolda, SVP of Marketing at Marcal "By taking even the smallest of environmental steps in the right direction – like simply switching one roll of your bath tissue or paper towels to 100% recycled paper - we all have the potential to be environmental heroes."

Award winners are:

• Grand Prize Winner—Susan Lower, Clarksville, Md., who developed a creative and effective auditing programming that trained students to audit homes for their environmental efficiency. The program was developed to specifically help homeowners reduce energy consumption, energy bills, and their carbon footprint. Lower selected Chesapeake Climate Action Network to receive a $5,000 donation in her name.
• First Place Winner, Gayle Sigurdson, Lawrence, Kan., who is the key person responsible for expanding the recycling program at Babcock Place, low income housing for seniors in Kansas, which now recycles plastic and glass in addition to the basic newspaper and aluminum. Sigurdson educates residents on the importance of recycling and how to sort and prepare the materials. Sigurdson selected Douglas County Housing to receive a $2,500 donation in her name.
• Second Place Winner, Heather Johnston, Battle Ground, Wash., an elementary teacher who encourages students to be resourceful and not wasteful. She enjoys buying numerous items for her class at garage sales in the summer. She finds anything from books, models, furnishings, to fun and funky prizes for the kids. Johnston selected Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge to receive a $1,500 donation in her name.
• Third Place Winner, Mary Talalay, Lutherville, Md., an eco-inspiration to her community members, friends, and neighbors who look to her for advice on how to be greener. She believes it's the little tasks that add up to big changes. She has been composting for four years and composts every scrap of organic kitchen waste. Talalay selected Fort Garrison Elementary School to receive a $500 donation in her name.
• Fourth Place Winner, Amanda Hearn, Vincent, Ohio, a mother of three who is focused on helping the environment and teaching her children and others to do the same. She created the blog The Eco-Friendly Family to educate and share her actions and eco-learnings. On her blog, she discusses how she takes green steps to make a difference. Hearn selected Healthy Child, Healthy World to receive a $500 donation in her name.