Heifer headquarters, Heifer Village to mark Earth Hour

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Heifer International will join hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments around the world Saturday, March 27, in a demonstration of concern about climate change by going dark—turning off its lights from 8:30-9:30 p.m.—to celebrate Earth Hour.

Last year, nearly one billion people in 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents—80 million of them Americans—turned off their lights for one hour during Earth Hour 2009. This year, the hour is between 8:30-9:30 p.m., March 27, local time wherever you are.

“Heifer works every day to end the global crises of hunger and poverty, but all of our work is centered around caring for the Earth as well,” said Charles O. Stewart, interim chief executive officer of the organization. “Our sustainability projects are created with the environment in mind, using eco-friendly agricultural techniques and practices designed to protect and enhance the land.

“So for us at Heifer, Earth Hour is an extension of our belief that everything we do leaves a hoof print and that we must all do what we can to minimize the size of that hoof print.”

Earth Hour was organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund, and The Sydney Morning Herald, in 2007. In the first Earth Hour, millions of homes and businesses in Australia turned their lights off for one hour to make a statement about climate change. A year later, Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating.

Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Empire State Building and Rome’s Colosseum all went dark to mark the event.

So, at 8:30 p.m. CDT Saturday, March 27, the lights at Heifer’s headquarters building and Heifer Village at 1 World Avenue, Little Rock, will be turned off for the one-hour global cause

“Acting alone makes a statement,” said Stewart. “Acting together makes for change, and in this case, important change that will benefit all of us, no matter where we live.”

Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in 50 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant.

For more information, visit www.heifer.org or call 1-800-696-1918.