COUNTY LIFE
Earth Day celebrates 50th with virtual program
EARTH DAY 2020 BRINGS TOGETHER AN UNPRECEDENTED COLLECTION OF VOICES INCLUDING ZAC EFRON, PATRICIA ESPINOSA, AL GORE, DENIS HAYES, ALEX HONNOLD, VAN JONES, ANIL KAPOOR, JOHN KERRY, PRINCE ALBERT OF MONACO, AND KYRA SEDGWICK TO SHARE THEIR SUPPORT FOR OUR PLANET FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Special Earth Day Address from His Holiness Pope Francis to be included in Earth Day
“The Earth is our environment to protect and the garden to tend to.” – His Holiness Pope Francis, Earth Day 2015
Washington, D.C., April 15, 2020 — With the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day (April 22) fast approaching, now more than ever we need to connect as a global community united in our fight to protect the health and welfare of the planet and its people.
In support of this global movement, illustrious and preeminent religious leaders, environmental advocates, celebrities, musicians and government officials will be celebrating Earth Day with a variety of first-person video pieces demonstrating their commitment to our planet.
These messages, talks, teach-ins and performances will be part of Earth Day Network’s robust 15-hour (9am ET to 11pm ET) live digital event on the homepage for the planet, earthday.org, as well as part of a comprehensive social media partnership with Twitter (#EarthDay2020), and as part of Earth Day Live.
The incredible lineup of personal video messages for Earth Day 2020 includes:
- Ed Begley, Jr., Actor, Environmentalist, Global Advisory Committee Member
- Zdeno Chara, Captain of the Boston Bruins
- Sylvia Earle, World-renowned Marine Biologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence
- Zac Efron, Actor and Global Advisory Committee Member
- Patricia Espinosa, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary
- Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Striker and Founder of OneMillionOfUs
- Al Gore, Former Vice President, Global Environmental Advocate, and Award-winning Filmmaker
- Denis Hayes, Organizer of the first Earth Day, Board Chair Emeritus of Earth Day Network and President, CEO, The Bullitt Foundation
- Alex Honnold, Free Climber and star of Oscar-Winning Documentary, Free Solo
- Van Jones, News Commentator
- Licypriya Kangujam, Youth Climate Activist and Founder of The Child Movement
- Anil Kapoor, Award-winning Actor, Producer, and Global Advisory Committee Member
- Ricky Kej, Grammy-Winning Musician and Global Advisory Committee Member
- John Kerry, 68th Secretary of State, Global Advisory Committee Member, Founder of World War Zero
- Thomas Lovejoy, Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation and Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University.
- Bill McKibben, Founder of 350.org
- His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, Global Advisory Committee Member
- Paul Nicklen, National Geographic Filmmaker, Photographer and Marine Biologist
- Kyra Sedgwick, Actress, Producer, Director, and Global Advisory Committee Member
- Alexandria Villaseñor, Founder and Executive Director of Earth Uprising
- Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus and Global Advisory Committee Member
“This unprecedented time has stopped us all in our tracks,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network. “As each of us ensures that those around us are safe and well, it is in a momentous opportunity to examine our individual and collective relationship with the natural world and how our activities impact the planet. The way forward is hopeful, and we have an opportunity to forever change how we interact with the environment in our own backyard and our community at large.”
Earth Day 2020 is comprised of a multi-faceted program intended to activate individuals to support their planet in a safe and responsible way during the coronavirus pandemic. Titled “24 Hours of Action,” Earth Day Network will reveal an action an hour that individuals can do to support our planet. Earth Day 2020 also includes a 15-hour digital Earth Day Live program on earthday.org, featuring long-form and short-form content with interactive programming, live appearances by religious leaders, celebrities, musicians, as well as live teach-ins with preeminent scientists and advocates.
In addition, individuals can participate in Earth Challenge 2020, a global citizen science initiative that will help build an open source database on air quality and plastic pollution using an app on your smartphone from the safety of your home.
About Earth Day Network
Earth Day 2020 comes 50 years after the first Earth Day which, in 1970, mobilized over 20 million citizens to demand action on the environmental challenges of the time. Today, Earth Day is observed in around 190 countries and close to 100,000 organizations. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. To learn more, visit earthday.org.
Make plans to enjoy a leisure Saturday in the park at the Music in the Park Festival on June 14 in Bowie’s Pelham Park.
Guests are invited to bring their lawn chairs and set up under the oak trees that fill the park near the amphitheater. This is the second year for this free festival as it expands to a full day hosted by the Bowie Community Center and R&K Sound Company.
The day opens with a 5K run/walk at 8:30 a.m. at the Pelham Park Pavillion. Pre-race warm-up begins at 8:10 a.m. and the race starts at 8:30 a.m. There will be first-third place winners in each age category.
Entry fee is $35 and participants receive a T-shirt. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Clear Choice Pregnancy Resource Center. Enter at the QR code on the Clear Choice Facebook page or email fourseasonsraceseries@gmail.com.
Live accoustic music opens the free festival starting at 11:30 a.m. with Corbin Woolsey, Blake Mangus, Tiffany Chandler, Sara White and Dillon Edwards. Other live music that day will include Bad Daddy Band and Bricktown Band. ZZ Texas, a ZZ Top tribute band will take the stage at 8 p.m. Live music continues until 10 p.m.
There will be food truck vendors, bounce houses (fee) and vendors. Guests are allowed to bring beer in a cooler, but no soda pop or similar drinks. There will be a $5 cooler fee.
Those with questions may call Bonnie at 940-872-4861 or Kenny at 817-704-9847.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Members of the Nocona Chamber of Commerce celebrated their past year during the annual awards banquet Monday night surrounded by theme of “Roaring ‘20s.”
A beautiful array of tables welcomed guests to the annual event in the H.J. Justin Building in downtown Nocona. Longtime chamber member and local businessman Larry Lemons welcomed the group and shared his tale of the benefits of being in the chamber of commerce in humorous verse.
“If you love seeing deliberate strides in your community,” you may want to be a chamber member. He pointed to the chamber’s efforts to promote the town, welcome visitors and promote business members.
Hobie Meekins of Wells Fargo Bank was named Chamber Citizen of the Year.
Read the full story and see more photos in the Thursday Bowie News.
Top photo: The Carpenter Shop was named Organization of the Year by the Nocona Chamber of Commerce.
For the 12th year in a row Nocona celebrates the automobile with Cruisin’ Nocona on June 6-7 with a slate of events across downtown.
This event, hosted by the Nocona Chamber of Commerce, made the move from May to June in 2025, but the activities remain the same.
The festivities kick off Friday morning with registration and check-in from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the H.J. Justin Building, 100 Clay Street. That will be followed by a breakfast burrito fundraiser (by donation) benefiting Nocona Lucky Paws from 9 to 10 a.m. It is open to everyone, even those not participating in the cruise.
Chamber organizers explained due to state regulations the cruise can no longer be called a “poker run,” but it will contain a “game component” that will have the same spirit of fun as prior events as everyone enjoys the spring countryside. There will be case prizes of $200, $100 and $50 for first, second and third places.
At 11 a.m. the cruise and game begin, followed by a barbecue lunch at 1 p.m. prepared by the Nocona High School BBQ Team, also at the Justin Building. The cruise resumes at 2:20 p.m. and concludes at Nocona Beer at the Brewery by 4:15 p.m., with game winners announced at 4:30 p.m.
The evening wraps up with the Dark of the Moon Lighted Truck Convoy at 8:30 p.m., traveling down Clay Street and back to the brewery.
June 7 begins with a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Justin Building, featuring pancakes, sausage, fruit, coffee, and orange juice. The breakfast is by donation and open to anyone in the community, benefiting American Legion Riders Chapter 220.
At 10 a.m. registration opens for the Car, Motorcycle, and Working Truck Show, with judging beginning at 1 p.m. Kids can join the fun during the Power Wheels Races at 2 p.m. (vehicles must be unmodified and child-operated). The awards ceremony begins at 4 p.m. followed by a live concert by Tin Rivers.
Additional highlights on Saturday include local vendors, food trucks, shopping, and the Trucking Thru Time Rolling Truck Museum, making this a full day of fun for all ages.
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