Bullfrog to power Holy Redeemer Catholic School

PICKERING -- An amphibian with shocking power visited a local school Tuesday.

The 16-foot inflatable frog came to Holy Redeemer Catholic School in Pickering and brought with it 100,000 kWh of green energy. The school is being awarded the electricity by Bullfrog Power for winning a contest to create a plan to be more environmentally friendly.

"We deserve the award because lately we have been doing a lot for the environment," says Alex, a Grade 7 student at Holy Redeemer and a member of the Eco Team. "The Eco Team collects and instead of throwing out stuff we recycle and try to do more to save energy and paper."

At the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in November, school groups submitted environmental pledges that outlined initiatives for ways to be more eco-friendly. Holy Redeemer's winning pledge included commitments to increase recycling and to reduce energy consumption.

"They had to provide documentation on all the green things they are doing, not just around energy but recycling and that sort of thing too. The pledge also included individual students and what they are doing," says Rob McLaughlin, president and chairman of the board of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

"The students and teachers of Holy Redeemer Catholic School have committed to meaningful and achievable environmental action at their school," says Josephine Coombe, the vice-president of Marketing for Bullfrog Power.

Bullfrog Power is putting 100,000 kwh of green power into the provincial grid on behalf of Holy Redeemer, enough electricity to power 10 homes for an entire year.

"Climate change is very severe right now. It's getting really serious and we need to take more interest in it," says Christine, a member of the Eco Team at Holy Redeemer.

People in the community who are looking to switch their homes over to green power can do so by visiting www.bullfrogpower.com and signing up.

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