By Kristina Michel
The City of Houston’s Office of Sustainability has become a platinum sponsor, the highest-level sponsorship status to Sustainability Fest, for its donation of VIP family four packs to the 66th Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 96th annual Mayor’s Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting.
The family four pack to the H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade consisted of a free parking pass, four VIP breakfast and seating passes, and complimentary food and beverages. The family four pack to the Mayor’s Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting included a free parking pass, four passes to a VIP reception, complimentary food and beverages, and premiere seating for the live concert and fireworks show. The items were among several prizes available for attendees to win during Sustainability Fest, which took place Tuesday, Nov. 17.
“We are proud to collaborate with the sustainability champions at the University of Houston multiple times a year to broaden the reach of each other’s work,” said Lisa Lin, Sustainability Manager in the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. “The city of Houston, and specifically the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, is dedicated to promoting initiatives that improve air, land and water quality, and support and expand renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, recycling and composting, active and clean transportation options, local food production and more livable, vibrant neighborhoods.”
The Houston Office of Sustainability was established in 2010 under Mayor Annise D. Parker to focus on creating a sustainable, resilient city for Houstonians. The office promotes sustainability projects and programs that improve the environment, strengthen the Houston economy and empower citizens.
“We are one of the nation’s largest municipal purchasers of green power, with half of the city’s electricity coming from renewable sources,” said Lin. “We have also retrofitted all traffic lights in the city with energy-efficient LED bulbs and are in the process of the doing the same for all street lights. We also recently passed an anti-idling ordinance to improve air quality around the city.”
Hosted by the UH Office of Sustainability, Sustainability Fest offered the UH community practical information about how to live sustainably in a fun and entertaining setting, while also highlighting sustainability initiatives across campus and the city.
To reach platinum sponsorship status, sponsors must have donated monetary or prize items worth more than $501. There were four sponsorship status levels for Sustainability Fest:
For more information about the city of Houston’s Office of Sustainability, visit its website at www.greenhoustontx.gov/.