The 2012 Mid-Valley Green Awards will be held here at The Salem Convention Center on Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 at 5:00 pm. The Green Awards are sponsored by the Friends of Straub Environmental Learning Center and ”acknowledge Mid-Willamette Valley individuals, businesses and organizations for their outstanding efforts towards sustainability.” Tickets are $50 and include dinner and wine. All proceeds from the live and silent auctions benefit the educational programs of the Friends of Straub Environmental Learning Center. This event has special meaning to us not only because The Salem Block was named “Large Sustainable Business Of The Year” at the 2011 Mid-Valley Green Awards; 'The Block' (consisting of Bentley's Grill, The Grand Hotel in Salem and The Salem Convention Center) is committed to environmentally sound practices in our day to day operations. In fact we are passionate about it. We are the first hotel, restaurant and conference center in Salem and Marion County to be EarthWISE certified and the Salem Convention Center is LEED® Certified. Green practices on “The Block” include: SANYO HIT Power® 220A solar panel 99-kilowatt system Composting throughout entire facility Utilizing Earth friendly cleaning solutions and drainage system Supporting local economy by purchasing products and food from local suppliers Using recycled paper for all printed material Purchasing wind power through PGE Replacing all lighting with cool white compact fluorescent lighting Extensive recycling of all plastic material and Styrofoam Participating with “Clean the World,” by recycling all used soap products from guest rooms Encouraging guests to re-use their bedding and towels to cut down on energy use Sleeping room and public area recycling Operating on Energy Star appliances To learn more about our commitment to sustainable practices, we encourage you to visit the following links: The Salem Convention Centers Green Practices The Grand Hotel in Salem & Bentley's Grill Green Efforts About the Friends of the Straub Environmental Learning Center Gov. Bob and Pat Straub were the inspirations for the Friends of the Straub Environmental Learning Center, a non-profit organization, established in 2004 and dedicated to environmental education. The centerpiece of the Friends' activities is the Straub Center, a structure that provides a lab, classroom, and meeting space for local organizations. The Straub Environmental Learning Center is a unique partnership between the Salem-Keizer School District, City of Salem, the Friends of n Straub Environmental Learning Center. To learn more about their programs and contributions to our community visit www.fselc.org/programs
