I did a volunteer gig yesterday at my beloved Alma Mater instead of tailgating. It was a BIG donation on my part. I gave where it hurts! Of my time. My relaxation, fun with my homies and family time.
What was I doing? Digging through garbage to get stinky beer bottles to recycle. It was EPA's Gameday Challege - a friendly competition for US colleges and university to promote waste reduction and recycling. The school's are tracking recycling and waste generation during a game event and competing against all the other schools. Only a couple schools in Iowa were competing (not U of I) and a couple in the Big 12.
My buddy from the Iowa Waste Exchange, Shelly Codner was running the event and my next door cubicle neighbor's (Tom Anderson) lady friend Merry Rankin, the ISU Sustainability Coordinator also played a role. A facilities person named Allison drove a Gator around - she had the hands-on knowledge of the stadium and routine. There were around 10 volunteers including me and Theresa Kurtz, the Director of the Iowa Recycling Association. Her children attend ISU but she had never been to a game (gasp!!).
We drove up yesterday up with McFees - left early, around 7ish so I could shop the shoe sale at Jax (gots ta have priorities!). Scored some new black Simple boots and some yellow Dansko clogs for $1. Then the gang dropped me off at 10 a.m. We slowly gathered and got our instructions (that weren't the most clear but I figured hey, how hard could it be..). They fed us hot dogs and brownies and then we were off. I missed breakfast burritos and Bloody Marys...
I had a couple helpers with me at Gate 5 - where we enter games each week. They were a couple kids - Shelly's nephews from Marshalltown, probably 14 years old. They needed lots of direction, but would do stuff when I asked them to. It was slow until around a half hour before the game - then people began to use the containers. I jumped in front of container row - asking people to drink up and use recycling bins. Urging them to chug in some cases! I made noises when they tossed recyclables into the trash. Ot ot Ooooh. I'm the recycling fairy. Nazi.
It was kinda fun. Then we dug stinky half filled beers out of trash and into recycling containers - not so fun. People are slobs! Most want to do the right thing, but won't take time to figure out what that right thing is, especially when they're drinking. It was stinky, filthy work. When the game got started I walked the concourse checking to make sure cardboard from concessions was being recycled.
Halftime was hard work again - checking containers outside the gate, finding lots of containers in the trash and having to sorting and pull drippy bags. We stacked them in the trash area by the Jake building. Then we got a little break with yummy brownies under the Jake - I took advantage my sneaking out by the band and snapping a few photos. Soon the game was over and it was time to pick up the Clear Stream recycling bins.
Then my job was done - 7 hours after I started. All those hours on my feet - a long time for this old gal. It reminded me of my old days as recycling coordinator - events like tire recycling day. And oh - the Cyclones sucked in the first half, but came up big during quarter 3 when I was busy outside the gate. Win #5. Ready for next week when the Big 4 ride again! Sally is coming from Portland so Vicki is supposed to drive down from MN and Jane from Waukee. Can't wait - should be more fun than recycling!
What was I doing? Digging through garbage to get stinky beer bottles to recycle. It was EPA's Gameday Challege - a friendly competition for US colleges and university to promote waste reduction and recycling. The school's are tracking recycling and waste generation during a game event and competing against all the other schools. Only a couple schools in Iowa were competing (not U of I) and a couple in the Big 12.
My buddy from the Iowa Waste Exchange, Shelly Codner was running the event and my next door cubicle neighbor's (Tom Anderson) lady friend Merry Rankin, the ISU Sustainability Coordinator also played a role. A facilities person named Allison drove a Gator around - she had the hands-on knowledge of the stadium and routine. There were around 10 volunteers including me and Theresa Kurtz, the Director of the Iowa Recycling Association. Her children attend ISU but she had never been to a game (gasp!!).
We drove up yesterday up with McFees - left early, around 7ish so I could shop the shoe sale at Jax (gots ta have priorities!). Scored some new black Simple boots and some yellow Dansko clogs for $1. Then the gang dropped me off at 10 a.m. We slowly gathered and got our instructions (that weren't the most clear but I figured hey, how hard could it be..). They fed us hot dogs and brownies and then we were off. I missed breakfast burritos and Bloody Marys...
I had a couple helpers with me at Gate 5 - where we enter games each week. They were a couple kids - Shelly's nephews from Marshalltown, probably 14 years old. They needed lots of direction, but would do stuff when I asked them to. It was slow until around a half hour before the game - then people began to use the containers. I jumped in front of container row - asking people to drink up and use recycling bins. Urging them to chug in some cases! I made noises when they tossed recyclables into the trash. Ot ot Ooooh. I'm the recycling fairy. Nazi.
It was kinda fun. Then we dug stinky half filled beers out of trash and into recycling containers - not so fun. People are slobs! Most want to do the right thing, but won't take time to figure out what that right thing is, especially when they're drinking. It was stinky, filthy work. When the game got started I walked the concourse checking to make sure cardboard from concessions was being recycled.
Halftime was hard work again - checking containers outside the gate, finding lots of containers in the trash and having to sorting and pull drippy bags. We stacked them in the trash area by the Jake building. Then we got a little break with yummy brownies under the Jake - I took advantage my sneaking out by the band and snapping a few photos. Soon the game was over and it was time to pick up the Clear Stream recycling bins.
Then my job was done - 7 hours after I started. All those hours on my feet - a long time for this old gal. It reminded me of my old days as recycling coordinator - events like tire recycling day. And oh - the Cyclones sucked in the first half, but came up big during quarter 3 when I was busy outside the gate. Win #5. Ready for next week when the Big 4 ride again! Sally is coming from Portland so Vicki is supposed to drive down from MN and Jane from Waukee. Can't wait - should be more fun than recycling!
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