AZUSA, CA, April 29, 2013 -- As a partner of the National Mayors Challenge Program, Rain Bird, the world's largest irrigation company, announced that it is donating complete irrigation systems and equipment to support park renovations in the cities of Los Angeles, Calif., and Tucson, Ariz. Supporting the 2013 National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, a friendly competition among the nation's city leaders meant to inspire residents to reduce water use throughout the month of April, Rain Bird will work with city officials to design and install innovative water-saving irrigation system in a number of parks that are undergoing renovations.
The initial donations will support renovations of Tucson's Tourney Park and Wall Street Park in South Los Angeles, with future support of remodeling efforts of Drum Barracks Park and Devonshire-Arleta Park, both in the Los Angeles area.
The Challenge calls on U.S. residents in more than 1,000 cities to commit to reducing their water usage by up to 4 billion gallons (or roughly the equivalent of Minnesota's 400 acre, 35 foot deep Lake Calhoun) -- a commitment that could yield more than $9.5 million in residential cost savings over the next year in addition to enormous corresponding energy savings.
As part of the challenge, the public is asked to visit www.mywaterpledge.com, enter the name of their city and make a water-saving pledge on behalf of their city in the month of April. The cities with the highest percentage of residents taking the challenge will be named 2013 Water Challenge winners. Participants in each of the winning cities are eligible to win hundreds of environmentally friendly prizes, including a Toyota Prius, custom-designed Rain Bird irrigation systems and a $1,000 Lowe's shopping spree. The prize-winning participants in each city will also be announced in May.
As a program partner, Rain Bird joins The Wyland Foundation, Toyota, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense, National League of Cities, DC Water, Lowe's home improvement stores, the U.S. Forest Service and CH2M Hill Watermatch in a nationwide effort to urge mayors to challenge each other's cities while showcasing their city-wide commitment to water conservation.
"We applaud all of the participants in this national challenge who are collectively coming together to help raise the awareness of the need to conserve water," said Dave Johnson, Rain Bird's director of corporate marketing. "Both Los Angeles and Tucson are home to Rain Bird's largest facilities, and we are proud to support local parks and recreation departments in their goals to conserve water use."
About the Wyland Foundation
Founded in 1993 by environmental artist Wyland (best known for his series of 100 monumental marine life murals), the Wyland Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, is actively engaged in teaching millions of students around the country about our ocean, rivers, lakes streams, and wetlands. The foundation's latest project, FOCUS (Forests, Oceans, Climate -- and us) brings together the U.S. Forest Service, NOAA, and numerous non-profits to teach young people about the future of our water supplies, climate, and global health. www.wylandfoundation.org
ABOUT RAIN BIRD CORPORATION
Headquartered in Azusa, Calif., Rain Bird Corporation is the world’s leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services. From simple beginnings in 1933, Rain Bird now offers the industry's broadest range of irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas, commercial developments and homes, available in more than 130 countries. Rain Bird has been awarded hundreds of patents, including the first in 1935 for the impact sprinkler. Rain Bird’s philosophy called The Intelligent Use of Water ® is about using water wisely. Its commitment extends beyond products to education, training and services for the industry and the community. Rain Bird maintains state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities around the world. http://www.rainbird.com
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