TrackTown12 Achieves Gold ReSport Certification

TrackTown12 Achieves Gold ReSport Certification

Oct 4, 2012 by FloTrack Staff
TrackTown12 Achieves Gold ReSport Certification

 

 

TrackTown12 Achieves Gold ReSport Certification

 

Organizers of 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field set a new standard for social and environmental responsibility at a multi-day event; will aim even higher next time.

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

October 4, 2012 – Portland, OR: Council for Responsible Sport Executive Director Keith Peters announced today that the Local Organizing Committee of the recent 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field—aka TrackTown12—has earned Gold ReSport Certification for its efforts at the popular 10-day sporting event. In doing so, TrackTown12 also helped the Council pilot new ReSport Certification standards for multi-day events.

 

“We are very pleased to acknowledge TrackTown USA’s ongoing commitment to environmental and social responsibility,” said Peters. “After having earned the International Olympic Committee’s first-ever award for Sport and the Environment following the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, organizers raised the bar for TrackTown12. And they are already on record saying they will pursue Evergreen ReSport Certification for all future events, including the NCAA Championships in 2013 and 2014 and the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2014.”

 

“Sustainability is one of the pillars on which we based our mission for the 2008 Olympic Trials, and we feel that our efforts in 2012 served to improve the sustainability, accessibility and equity of the event,” said Vin Lananna, TrackTown12 LOC Co-Chair. “We performed very well in 2008, we exceeded expectations in 2012, and we will continue to pursue even greater sustainable measures at all future events at Hayward Field.”

 

Lananna added: “TrackTown USA made huge efforts to boost its sustainability in 2012, and it would not have been possible without the partnerships we secured with the City of Eugene, BP, Sanipac, Safeway, EWEB, Lane Transit District, and other local businesses.”

Among the many successes detailed in TrackTown12’s post-event Sustainability Report, here are a few highlights. The complete report can be seen at http://tracktown12.gotracktownusa.com/sustainability/.

 

·         ReThink Waste: 78.5% of waste was composted or recycled; 20,000 drink containers were redeemed, with funds going to local non-profits.

·         Reduce Emissions: 100% renewable energy powered Hayward Field and TrackTown Festival; 3.5 tons of CO2 emissions from shuttle buses were offset through BP America’s Target Neutral program.

·         Increase Access: 1,000 free tickets given to disadvantaged families.

·         Develop Community: $31 million local economic impact; 1,888 volunteers supported the event.

·         Inspire Youth: 6,000 youth ran, jumped and threw at the Starting Block, a youth event; 1,500 athletes of all ages participated in the all-comer’s meet; 102 youth participated in the Nike Leadership Camp.

·         Leave a Legacy: Host 2014 IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships; bid to host 2016 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials and future IAAF World Championships; pilot the first multi-day certification standard, and help develop the framework to promote sustainable sports events across the United States.

 

The Council’s Managing Director Catherine Humblet, who worked closely with TrackTown12 on their ReSport Certification application, thought three aspects of their efforts were particularly noteworthy: “Sustainability was integrated into the planning of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field from day one; throughout the process they paid extraordinary attention to detail; and they driven to improve upon past efforts.”

 

Early on in the planning for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field, the theme We Can! was developed for all consumer-facing communications. From Zero Waste table tents to the public service announcement that ran regularly on the Hayward Field Video Scoreboard, We Can! served as a constant reminder that TrackTown12 success depended greatly on everyone’s participation in the sustainability efforts. Athletes, volunteers and fans embraced the message wholeheartedly.

 

Two words sum up the TrackTown12 effort: They Did!

 

 

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About the Council for Responsible Sport:

 

Our vision is a world where responsibly produced sports events are the norm.

 

Our mission is to provide objective, independent verification of the socially and environmentally responsible work event organizers are doing, and to actively support event organizers who strive to make a difference in their communities.

 

Our ReSport Certification program provides a comprehensive method for event directors to incorporate environmental and socially responsible initiatives into their events, while informing stakeholders about events that adhere to a rigorous set of standards. ReSport Certified events range in size from ParalympicsGB Training Camps held at the University of Bath in the UK, with some 150 athletes participating, to the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia, with 55,077 timed finishers. To date, 41 different events have achieved certification from the Council for Responsible Sport, serving over 590,000 athletes in the process. In addition, 221,410 spectators over 10 days became intimately involved with the sustainability initiatives of TrackTown12.

 

The current version of the ReSport Certification standards was developed by an outside working group of 18 sustainability experts and reviewed by a wide range of stakeholders. ReSport Certification is modeled after the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Green Building Rating System, which certifies buildings and materials according to resource conservation and energy efficiency criteria.

 

www.CouncilforResponsibleSport.org

 

 

About TrackTown12:

 

The TrackTown12 LOC was comprised of nearly 200 volunteers from the Oregon Track Club, the University of Oregon, the City of Eugene, Nike, Travel Lane County and other local Eugene/Springfield businesses. It was led by co-chairs Vin Lananna, Associate Athletic Director of Track & Field at the University of Oregon, and Greg Erwin, Past-President of the Oregon Track Club. As co-chairs, Lananna and Erwin led the TrackTown12 Steering Committee, which oversaw a network of 19 committees, all managed by the Oregon Track Club Events project management team. In addition, OTC contracted with Portland-based sports marketing company SportsOne to secure partners and manage the TrackTown Festival.

 

In all ways, TrackTown12 set out to be an event that surpassed the hugely successful 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials. In collaboration with the myriad TrackTown12 constituencies, the LOC accomplished its goal to deliver the “best ever” overall track and field experience for athletes, coaches, officials, media, volunteers and fans.

 

www.GoTrackTownUSA.com

 

 

 

For more information contact:

Keith Peters, Executive Director

Keith@CouncilForResponsibleSport.org

(307) 690-6803