KEEN Inc. Announces STAND Winners, Gives $150,000 in Award Money Sustainability-focused Contest Fostered Vision & Enables Action
KEEN Inc., a leader in hybrid outdoor performance products including footwear, socks and bags, today announced the winners of its sustainability contest: STAND.
Portland, OR (PRWEB) April 9, 2008 -- KEEN Inc., a leader in hybrid outdoor performance products including footwear, socks and bags, today announced the winners of its sustainability contest: STAND. To support recipients' sustainability projects, KEEN gave a total of $150,000 across three separate categories, including three $25,000 grand prize awards and fifteen $5000 runner-up awards.
The grants were divided into three categories, all with the goal to raise awareness for sustainability:
- STAND UP: ideas through creative outlets.
- STAND OUT: ideas through outdoors activities
- STAND FOR: ideas through non-profit organizations or initiatives
The STAND initiative was promoted through a college campus tour, print and online advertising and by a short documentary highlighting nine innovators who are making a difference around sustainability.
"Making a difference around sustainability starts by looking for inspiration in the areas you're passionate about and asking what small steps you can take," says Bobbie Parisi, Vice President of Marketing at KEEN. "We were amazed and inspired by the quality of the entries we received and are proud to have served as a catalyst for their sustainability ideas."
Entries for the contest, which ran from August 1 - December 31, 2007, were reviewed by a panel of experts in the fields of design, art, photography, journalism, film, outdoor sports and non-profit management and research. Judges included naturalist and writer Terry Tempest Williams, designer Yves Behar, Backpacker Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jon Dorn and world-champion free skier Alison Gannett.
Each of the following grand prize winners will receive a $25,000 award:
o STAND UP: Creative Outlets
- Spencer Brown founded "Rent a Green Box" after spending $800 on cardboard boxes he knew would end up landfills. This eco-entrepreneur uses trash to create re-usable packing and moving products.
o STAND OUT: Outdoor Activities
- Leslie Freeman started Wild Science Explorers to share her passion for river trips with under privileged high school students. The six-day excursions incorporate science education, BLM service projects and Leave No Trace training.
o STAND FOR: Non-Profit Organizations or Initiatives
- Brian Bell, president of the University of Minnesota chapter of Engineers Without Borders, is working with other organizations in Haiti to develop ways to recycle the HDPE water sachets that most Haitians use to transport drinking water--and to repurpose them into durable footwear for the nation's kids.
Each of the following runners-up will receive a $5,000 award:
o STAND UP: Creative Outlets
- Fine Arts: Toby Frayley creates functional art by repurposing vintage items into sculptural lights.
- Film: Tonje Schei directed "PLAY AGAIN," a documentary addressing the consequences of children's disconnection from nature.
- Design: Ron Ervin designed a three-in-one composter, water heater and heat exchange system.
- Journalism: James Mills produces Adventures In Outreach, a series highlighting people engaged in adventure-inspired philanthropic outreach.
- Photography: Through her work, Jill Heinerth fosters awareness of the ecology of underwater cave systems.
o STAND OUT: Outdoor Activities
- Joshua Doolittle will share his passion for bouldering by creating eco-friendly artificial boulders in city parks.
- Katherine Selting will bike across the U.S. to spread heirloom seeds.
- Loren Luyendyk is a surfer who will travel to Central America by vegetable oil/diesel vehicle to offer free courses on Permaculture Design.
- Jennifer Langille will sail in the Mini Transat solo race across the Atlantic to demonstrate the importance of using resources efficiently.
- Hisayuki Sato will create an amphibious vehicle that blends pedaling power with solar electrical assistance.
o STAND FOR: Non-Profit Organizations or Initiatives
- Through The Back Porch Energy Initiative, Elizabeth Burroughs will offer free programming on energy conservation and environmental awareness to rural southeastern communities.
- Lily Muldoon will work to bring clean water to the 36,000 residents of Kayafungo, Kenya by building a 12-km pipeline.
- Gretchen Lernihan will create an urban youth bike workshop in the South Bronx to promote environmental awareness and healthy living to at-risk teens.
- Carrie LaSeur founded "Plains Justice" to represent communities against global energy corporations.
- Rush Hambleton helps individuals reduce their gasoline consumption by offering free tire pressure gauges through 4GreenTires.org.
The campaign will culminate at the STAND Festival in Portland, Oregon on July 12, 2008. The festival, which will feature live music, food and beverage, will honor winners and judges and serve as a platform for inspiring future ideas and innovations around sustainability.
To learn more about the STAND initiative and access more detail on winners' submissions, please visit www.keenfootwear.com.
About KEEN
KEEN Inc., manufacturer of hybrid footwear, socks and bags, is an outdoor brand that delivers innovative hybrid products, enabling all outdoor enthusiasts to live an active lifestyle. Founded in 2003, KEEN was first recognized for its Newport sandal, which featured patented toe protection technology.
The company strives to demonstrate integrity and leadership, especially on social and environmental commitments, while promoting an inclusive outdoors community. Through its giving program Hybrid.Care, the company provides support to a variety of social and environmental organizations around the globe.
Based in Portland, Oregon, KEEN products are available in retail locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Central America, South America and Europe. To learn more, visit www.keenfootwear.com.
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