One Change Honors Leaders for Driving Environmental Change

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- One Change (www.onechange.org) announced the winners of its second annual Catalyst Awards last night at an event that celebrated community involvement and the power of conversations in driving simple actions that matter for the environment.

The One Change Catalyst Awards recognize outstanding community leaders, groups and organizations in Canada and the United States who have acted as catalysts for significant environmental action and have helped One Change grow into a grassroots phenomenon across North America. This year's award ceremony was held in conjunction with the 2010 Behavior, Energy & Climate Change conference in Sacramento, California. The evening included a special congratulatory video to the recipients from the globally recognized, award-winning pioneer in the clean-energy economy, Van Jones, and was hosted by Darian Rodriguez Heymen, managing partner of Code Green Agency.

The 2010 award recipients are:

• Canadian Tire Corporation – Corporate Catalyst
• Mayor Cory A. Booker – Political Catalyst
• Jenine Tankoos – Volunteer Catalyst
• Matt Golden – NGO Catalyst

"At One Change, we believe that simple actions matter and the recipients of this year's Catalyst Awards truly embody this philosophy," said Stuart Hickox, founder and president of One Change. "Thanks to their help and support, as well as the support of so many other great people and organizations, we have proven that the One Change community engagement model works and makes a positive impact on individuals, communities and the planet."

Canadian Tire Corporation was a key sponsor that enabled the launch of a new One Change fuel efficiency campaign in Ontario, Canada. During the campaign, 150,000 digital tire pressure gauges were delivered across the province. In addition, campaign staff and volunteers engaged 150,000 residents in a meaningful dialogue about how proper tire pressure can have a positive impact on the fuel efficiency of a vehicle.

"Canadian Tire's commitment to sustainability is embedded in how we operate, driving innovation and profitability to benefit our customers, our business and the environment. We are proud of the work we are doing and it's very gratifying to be recognized for our efforts by One Change," commented Carolyn Sedgwick, manager of business sustainability, Canadian Tire Corporation.  

Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark, New Jersey has been a staunch supporter of the One Change energy efficiency program, Project Porchlight, throughout a three-year campaign where nearly 1.4 million compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs were delivered to communities across the state.

Jenine Tankoos was a standout volunteer in the New Jersey Project Porchlight campaign and was an instrumental part of a one-day blitz that brought 70 volunteers together to distribute 1,000 CFL bulbs.

"I am proud to be part of One Change's army of dedicated volunteers who give our time because we passionately believe in One Change's mission. I feel very fortunate and honored that One Change selected me out of many deserving volunteers to receive the Catalyst Award," said Tankoos.

Matt Golden is an author, industry-recognized speaker, founder of energy audit software company Recurve and active board member for five NGO organizations.

"The time I invest in non-profit groups to advance residential energy efficiency is truly a labor of love. It feels great to be at the crossroads of a market that can have huge impacts on the environment, while also creating a multitude of jobs in a hard hit industry. I appreciate the recognition for the hard work that has gotten us to this point, but I also want to remind everyone that we are just getting started!" remarked Golden.

About One Change

One Change is an award-winning not-for-profit, non-partisan charitable organization based in Ottawa, Ontario with project offices throughout Canada and the United States. One Change delivers innovative community-based social marketing campaigns aimed at engaging in conversations to empower people to adopt environmentally friendly behaviors. To date, One Change has engaged and trained more than 12,000 volunteers in over 900 communities across North America in the areas of energy efficiency, fuel efficiency and soon, water conservation.  For more information, please visit www.onechange.org.

SOURCE One Change