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Food Drive Just One of Many Green Efforts at New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

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News from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center often crosses my desk. It usually has to do with good things the Center is doing in the community or in other areas of sustainability. One recent example was a canned food drive. Each Center department recently was challenged to come up with the most creative representation of a Louisiana icon or landmark, using only non-perishable food cans. Employees donated from their personal pantries and pooled their own money and resources together in order to build their canned goods masterpieces. Some of the creative ideas included a replica of the Louisiana State Capitol made out of canned goods and boxed spaghetti; and several canned pineapple “suns” to represent the official state song of Louisiana, “You are my Sunshine.” The entries were judged by the contest’s beneficiary, Giving HOPE, a nonprofit dedicated to “changing lives through love.”

The judges then awarded the grand prize trophy to the Facility and Environmental departments, for their elaborate, three-dimensional alligator constructed from cans of green beans and tomatoes. After the winning design was announced, employees boxed up the items and loaded the truck bound for Giving HOPE’s warehouse. The organization estimated that the employee’s donation was valued at $7,361.

The Center, a participant in the 2016 Green Venue Report, has an extensive green program in partnership with Centerplate that focuses on waste reduction, energy conservation, water conservation, and clean air practices. A few examples of initiatives: china an option for catered events, daylight sensors for exterior lighting, variable volume HVAC and pumping systems, irrigation systems with rain sensors, and environmentally preferable cleaners when possible.

This week the Center will host the Farm to Table Experience, an event where the food and beverages of New Orleans will be celebrated through tastings, interactive gardening and cooking demonstrations, hands-on workshops, educational sessions, social events, and more.

To learn more about the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and its green efforts, click here.

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