The Maine Set to Rock America's Greenest School(SM)

NEW YORK, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Maine has partnered with IC Bus, the nation's leading school bus manufacturer, to help find the greenest school in the country for the second annual America's Greenest School(SM) Contest.

The winning school will receive a free concert by The Maine, a new IC Bus™ hybrid school bus valued at $150,000, a $20,000 green makeover and LEED school audit, and a $3,000 scholarship for the winning entry.

"We're extremely happy to be partnering with IC Bus for the 2010 America's Greenest School contest," said The Maine vocalist John O'Callaghan. "Being green is important to our band, our fans, and the planet. This contest is a great way to highlight the little things that make a big difference – like riding the bus. We're excited about playing at the winning school and encourage all our fans to enter – and to go green." The group helped kick off the 2010 America's Greenest School contest with a pep rally concert at 2009's contest winner, Irvington High School in Freemont, CA.

"As parents, students, and teachers look at ways to lead a greener life, school is a great place to show environmental leadership," said John McKinney, president of IC Bus. "The America's Greenest School Contest is one way to help educate and influence eco-friendly behavior like riding the bus to school instead of using a passenger car."

The America's Greenest School Contest encourages students nationwide to submit a photo collection, music, a video, an essay, photos of a diorama, collage or artwork, which illustrates a vision for how they'd make their school a greener place. "We would like students to demonstrate how their school is committed to green transportation," McKinney added. Contest details and entry guidelines are available at AmericasGreenestSchool.com or www.facebook.com/AmericasGreenestSchool.

IC Bus will select 10 finalists, and America will vote online for the winner, who will be announced the week of Earth Day 2010.

Here are a few green facts about riding a school bus from the American School Bus Council:

• One school bus can take 36 cars off the road, for a total of 17.3 million cars a year.
• More than 26 million children ride the school bus daily, saving 2.3 billion gallons of fuel each year.
• If 10 percent more children rode school buses, it could save another 300 million gallons of fuel annually.
• The $3.68 daily fuel cost to transport a child in a private vehicle lowers to 73 cents for a school bus.

SOURCE IC Bus