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Our ‘Five Celebrities to Watch Save the Planet in 2010′ – How Did They Do?

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

Our ‘Five Celebrities to Watch Save the Planet in 2010’ – How Did They Do?

At the end of last year we highlighted Five Celebrities to Watch Save the Planet in 2010 – celebrities who were just starting to be recognized for their eco activism.  Before we present our list of Celebrities to Watch for 2011, let’s check on the past activities of those we recognized last year.  We’re proud to say that our celebs really used 2010 to expand their activities further.  We are in awe of what they achieved during the year.  Two need more of a push than the others although we are proud of them and wish them the best for 2011.  See what you think!

Shakira.  Wow – what you’ve done is amazing and we can’t wait to see what you do next as you soar higher and higher.  Shakira, you spent the whole year moving forward with your message of help to children by providing the opportunity of a good education, and including environmental education and policies as an integral part of what they are taught.  You are not afraid to tell a world leader exactly what you think, and we applaud you!  Thank you especially for your work in Haiti.  We noticed that you were honored by the United Nations in March 2010 for your work as a UN Ambassador.  We were thrilled to see you partner with celebrities and world leaders to focus attention on the United Nation’s Millenium Development Goals.  Your dedication shows and we wish you all the best success.  We don’t think anything will stand in your way, and everyone will benefit.

Leilani Munter.  Leilani, you really pulled it all together this year to promote a green(er) lifestyle to a group that’s not necessarily at the front line of living green – NASCAR fans.  With your ‘GreenTeam’ behind you at the races promoting LED lighting, encouraging the racing industry to consider alternative fuels, and your choice to be a vegetarian we all get the chance to see a green lifestyle in action as you put the pedal to the metal.  You’ve made strides off the racetrack as well.  Congratulations on being recognized by the Huffington Post as a ‘Creative Mind’.  You are definitely influencing others by your actions.  Keep up the great work! 

Jet Li. Jet, you didn’t do as much as we hoped in 2010 but we are behind you 100% and we hope to see more.  We know you faced challenges with the ONE Foundation in your home country and we’re keeping our fingers ‘crossed’ that things will work out!  Do what you need to do to get back on track and we’ll check in during 2011.  We know you are committed and we look forward to great things.   

 
 

 

Rachelle Carson Begley.  Rachelle, we see that you laid some groundwork in 2010 with organizations that focus on children, teens and the environment.  Keep it up – we like where you’re headed.   With your sensible, humorous approach to saving the planet at home we know you can influence many as you continue to Live with Ed.  We have high hopes and look forward to continue seeing you in the green spotlight.   

Prince Albert II of Monaco.  He’s been called The Green Prince, and he’s really doing it right.  Albert, we had no idea and we feel that you’re just hitting your stride.  You are an awesome royal.  This year, you went beyond the work of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to go globetrotting, fiancée in tow, to reach out to leaders and influentials all over the world.   Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US were just a few of the places you traveled to talk about the importance of leaders working together to recognize environmental dangers and save our planet.   Albert, keep doing your great work in your quiet, determined style.  Your voice is being heard in royal chambers and executive offices everywhere!

So that’s a snippet of what our ‘Five to Watch Save the Planet in 2010’ did during 2010 – a year of hard work, success, and continuing to set an example and encourage others to take part.   We wish you all the best in your efforts for the coming year.

Watch for our next post on celebrities to watch save the planet in the coming year. We’ve got a pair of well known movie star hunks and a starlet who’s really come into her own,  a young royal couple and a First Lady who has really made a difference for our planet in the past year.  We think you’ll really enjoy our ‘Five to Watch Save the Planet in 2011’!

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Haribon Foundation’s Million Hectare Challenge – November 21, 2010

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

KissMyCountry’s Philippines t-shirt benefits the Haribon Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the Phillippines eco-systems, with 10% of sales from our Phillippines t-shirts donated to their ROAD to 2020 program.  This program is restoring forests with native tree species.

KissMyCountry wrote about Haribon Foundation earlier this year, and we want to remind everyone that Haribon Foundation’s Million Hectare Challenge will take place on November 21 in Taguig City, Metro Manila.  Annabelle Plantilla, Director for Haribon’s Organizational Sustainability Group provided details about the pledge walk and run.  Please tell your friends in the Philippines about this event, check out Haribon’s web site, and consider lending your support!

From Annabella Plantilla:

This year, Haribon will once again hold “The Million Hectare Challenge,”  a pledge walk and run that aims to raise awareness on the importance of rainforests and the need to plant native tree species in order to restore its ecological services.  It will also raise funds for our advocacy called Rainforestation Organizations and Advocates (ROAD) to 2020 program which aims to restore 1 million hectares of forests by year 2020 by using native tree species. The event will be held on November 21, 2010, Sunday, at the McKinley Hill, Bonifacio Global City.

The idea is to get walkers and runners to get as many pledges from their family, friends and offices for every lap they complete. The minimum pledge is PhP100/lap or kilometer. The more laps a walker completes the more funds s/he raises.  If a walker completes 4 laps/km at PhP100/lap/kilometer, s/he raises PhP400.  A pledge can also be a fixed amount. Registration is PhP350 for Haribon members and PhP400 for non-Haribon members. Participants will get a T-shirt and lots of other freebies. 

This year we are targeting 3,000 participants and hope to raise PhP1,000,000 so that we can plant 10,000 trees.

Thanks again!
Annabelle

Annabelle and Haribon Foundation, we wish you all the best as you prepare for the Million Hectare Challenge and of course we will be thinking of you on November 21!  Good luck! 

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KissMyCountry Breast Cancer Awareness T-Shirt Giveaway on HerCampus

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Want to win one of our new Breast Cancer Awareness t-shirts?  KissMyCountry has a special giveaway from October 13-30 on HerCampus – the Collegiette’s Guide to Life.  One dozen Breast Cancer Awareness t-shirts with the HerCampus logo will be given away until October 30.  Please check out this great site about life on college campuses – written by the nation’s top college journalists – and sign up to win a t-shirt from KissMyCountry!

KissMyCountry’s Breast Cancer Awareness T-Shirt benefits the Young Survival Coalition which helps young women with breast cancer.  We will donate 10% of sales to this worthy organization.  If you’d like to buy a t-shirt directly, click here.

Breakfast at Crema Cafe  with Windsor Hanger, HerCampus Co-Founder
KissMyCountry is very glad to partner with HerCampus during Breast Cancer Awareness month.  I recently met up with Windsor Hanger, HerCampus CoFounder, for breakfast at Crèma Cafe in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Windsor was on time – as usual! – even though HerCampus had held their Year One Birthday Party the night before.  Over coffee and the best English Muffin ever, we had a chance to catch up on the success of HerCampus.  It’s a great story.

Windsor, Stephanie Kaplan and Annie Wang founded HerCampus in 2009.  The three had been working on a print magazine at Harvard called Freeze College Magazine, but wanted to do more.  HerCampus grew out of a desire to switch Freeze College Magazine from print to Internet and expand to other college campuses across the United States.  One year later with the right mix of talent, a lot of hard work and a commitment to creating opportunities for college women interested in writing careers, HerCampus is fabulous and growing.  The writing is fresh, interesting and details key aspects of campus life – classes, dorm life, guys, friends, fashion, health and everything else going on in college today.  Whether you’re in college, applying to college, or miss your college days (who doesn’t?) you will love this site and read interesting posts every day.

HerCampus Enters a Successful Second Year
It’s been quite a first year for HerCampus.  HerCampus now includes writing by top college journalists at over 60 college campuses, a relationship with the Huffington Post that began when Stephanie Kaplan sat next to Arianna Huffington at a Harvard Business School event and recognition by Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 for the Co-Founders.  And those are just the highlights – there is much, much more that’s happened in the past year.  As Windsor and I finished breakfast and walked over to HerCampus’ offices it is clear there is much more to come.  Just wait, and you’ll be glad to say you read about this team during their early days.

Meeting Stephanie Kaplan, HerCampus Co-Founder and Seeing HerCampus’ Offices
HerCampus operates out of a business incubator in Cambridge, and Windsor took me there for a brief tour and to meet Stephanie Kaplan, which was an unexpected bonus.  Stephanie and another staff member were busily working but took the time to talk about HerCampus before it was time for their next conference call.  Annie Wang was not in the office and I hope to meet Annie the next time I’m in Cambridge.  The office has a positive energy and it’s clear that something special is happening within their walls.  We can’t wait to see what you do in the next year – we know it’s going to be great! 

Sign up with HerCampus to enter the KissMyCountry t-shirt giveaway.  You can also purchase a Breast Cancer Awareness T-Shirt on our site, with 10% of sales donated to the Young Survival Coalition.  Thank you!

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Aneta’s 25 Mile Bike Ride in Montgomery County, Maryland

Monday, October 4th, 2010

An October Ride for Lymphoma Research
Is there anything greater than a sunny morning in early October?  Yes.  A sunny morning in early October when Aneta bicycles 25 miles in the 2010 Lymphoma Research Ride, held Sunday, October 3 in upper Montgomery County.  I know Aneta through her husband Gregg; I’ve known Gregg and his family for years.  A lymphoma survivor, Sunday’s ride is one of many triumphs for Aneta, Gregg and their young daughter.  Gregg, always proud of his wife, emailed friends and family about Aneta’s plans to enter the 2010 Lymphoma Research Ride.  With Gregg out of town on business, and hearing that Gregg’s parents Ewa and Maciej were in from Warsaw to cheer on Aneta during the ride, I didn’t want to miss the day.  Aneta and Gregg’s friend Matt joined her for the 25 miles so support all around.  Helmets on, bikes ready, they rode off as Ewa, Maciej and I waved and shot photos.

Aneta’s Ride
What was it like?  I’ll let Aneta tell you in her own words:

I couldn’t stop oohing and ahhing at the beautiful views of the horse farms, the cozy countryside houses, the vistas.  The day was brisk all the way through, making the ride surprisingly easier than I had expected!  I guess I’m in shape, which is a good sign 10 months after chemo and 14 months after childbirth!

A Beautiful Setting in Upper Montgomery County
By the way, the area around Dickerson and Boyds where the ride was held is a scene stealer.  Fields, farms, trees turning color, winding roads and a gorgeous day made for wonderful riding and walking around.   Everyone kept commenting ‘what a beautiful area’, ‘it’s so pretty up here’.   If you have a chance to head up that way in the next few weeks, grab it and give yourself plenty of time to drive around, ride around or walk around the area.  You won’t regret it.  And there’s always next October to join the Research Ride.

Riders Cheered In and a Generous Lunch
Riders returned, cheered on by supporters, off their bikes and ready to eat.  Riders and supporters ate a huge lunch served by Gourmet Express.  Sandwiches, Salads, Cornbread, French Bread, Ziti Casserole, Chicken Chili with cheese and sour cream, Brownies, Lemon Bars, Cookies, Fresh Fruit, Juice, Soda – you name it.   Everything to renew you after the ride, and looking ahead to next year.

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The Best Day in DC

Friday, October 1st, 2010

It’s October and that means Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  This month KissMyCountry steps away from green and travel to focus on something important to all women – and men – the health of our mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, cousins, girlfriends and all the other women in our world who seek prevention and a cure.  We have a special t-shirt for Breast Cancer Awareness with 10% of sales donated to the Young Survival Coalition, dedicated to helping young women with breast cancer.  And, to start the month a blog post about DC’s Race for the Cure that takes place on the Mall each year on the first Saturday in June.  Thank you to Peter Vanderpoel for the photograph of our Breast Cancer Awareness t-shirt below!

It’s a day of being together, a day of strength, a day for a show of numbers.  It’s the first Saturday in June and it’s the best day in DC.  The day DC takes part in the Race for the Cure.

For some reason the sun’s always shining, the air’s the right temp.  Getting up, getting to the Metro, waiting for the train.  You see friends and families in Race for the Cure t-shirts,  carrying backpacks and water.  They’re going, you say to yourself.   They’re going too.

On the train, the Race for the Cure t-shirts increase.   At Gallery Place dozens of friends, couples, families, children spill out and head to the Mall.  On the street people pour from every angle but all move in one direction.   A stream, a river, a torrent of people moving toward the Mall.  Their energy draws you in, surrounds you, pushes you forward.  On the Mall a stage at the front, loudspeakers, more and more people.  All ages, all groups, all on the Mall.  Friendly, open, helping.  The Mall fills, fills tighter, more, more coming.  We turn our faces to the front.  The talks begin.

Before the race, Survivors walk together, a parade of women in pink hats – all ages, all groups, all walking.  We cheer them.  Support from each other, support from the feeling of being together on the Mall.  The runners start and the rest of us follow walking in a loop around the Mall.  Everyone talking, walking together, pushing strollers, help to those getting tired.  

The loop finished, time to think about heading home.  It’s hot now, helicoptors overhead.  Tired but happy we walk to the Metro.  We did the walk again, we came together, we showed our support on the first Saturday in June.  Our capital, our citizens, our support for each other.  The best day in DC.

There are many ways to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness.  What do you do in your town?  Tell us – we’d like to hear!

 

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Kadunce Creek Beach and Grand Marais, Minnesota – Vacation Beach Clean Up

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

KissMyCountry welcomes a guest blog post by our friend Jennifer, who recently visited the North Shore of Lake Superior.  Jennifer did a beach cleanup with her son - which is also posted on TheDailyOcean – our friend Sara Bayles’ blog.  Jennifer loves travel, and this post shows her enthusiasm for the places we love.  We know you’ll enjoy this post – and we look forward to hearing more from Jennifer.  It’s great to feature the experiences of a fellow traveler!

I was raised in Minnesota, yet 20 years after leaving to explore the globe, I’ve discovered a little piece of heaven that exists in the northernmost reaches of the state.  Driving northeast from Duluth, Highway 61 follows the North Shore of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world.  The shoreline here is nothing short of majestic. 

I arrived in Lutsen, a small village about 60 miles from the Canadian border for a family vacation.  Inspired by my friends at KissMyCountry and The Daily Ocean blog, I decided to do a beach clean up on one of the North Shore beaches.  Never having been to the area, I wasn’t sure what condition I would find the beaches in.  Much of the shoreline here is rocky cliffs, with expansive gravel beaches at the points where rivers cascade into the epic lake.  I reached out to the SurfRider Foundation, Superior Chapter for some tips on where to go.  One of their suggestions was Kadunce Creek Beach. 

Kadunce Creek Beach sits in the Superior National Forest and is easily accessible, with a parking area just off the highway.  The parking area was full and I noticed several cars with surfboards on the top.  (Hats off to the souls who brave water temps in the 40 degree range to do what they love!  Now that’s dedication!)  There is a short trail to the beach.  Passing through towering white pines and birch trees to reach the shore, I was immediately struck by how pristine the beach is.  I was also struck by the sheer magnitude of Lake Superior. Looking out across the lake, you cannot see the other side.  You don’t feel like you are on a lake, but rather a fresh water sea.  It is truly awe-inspiring.  I never guessed that not finding trash would be an issue for my first beach clean up, but I am thrilled to report that was indeed the case.  The rhythm of the waves hitting the shore was a perfect accompaniment to the soft sun and gusty breeze.  I am told that the 67 degree temperature was quite warm for this lovely corner of the world.  I walked the beach with my 7-year-old son for 20 minutes.  In that time we found two small fragments of paper towels and one small plastic wrapper.  That’s it!  Not even enough to weigh.  There was a trash receptacle at the parking lot where we left our meager findings.  After taking a few minutes to watch the four surfers catching waves on their longboards, we got in the car and headed back down the coast toward Grand Marais, a small town known for its artists and picturesque setting. 

We stopped in Grand Marais for lunch.  Seeing the town beach right next to the harbor, I was curious if I would find the beach in the same immaculate condition as Kadunce Creek.  We decided to spend another 20 minutes cleaning up whatever we could find.  As it turns out, we had more to pick up here.  Walking the beach, the first thing I noticed was the number of cigarette butts… one after another.  We also found a plethora of clear plastic straws.  This is a tourist area, and I’m guessing one of the neighboring shops gives these out with their drinks.  It’s just a shame that they didn’t make it to one of the numerous trash cans lining the beach.  Aside from the straws and cigarette butts, we found a lone plastic clog and an action figure.  Minnesota is known for its friendly people, and as we picked up trash, many of the beachgoers asked us what were doing.  When we explained our effort, they were appreciative and encouraging.  Even with the glut of cigarette butts, in the end we collected just 9.6 ounces of trash. 

Even though it turned out there wasn’t a lot of work for us to do cleaning beaches on Lake Superior, I am grateful for the experience.  As a mother as well as a woman who loves and enjoys our planet, I strive for ways to teach environmental stewardship to my son.  The following day, we hiked a forest trail.  We came to a bridge across a creek and my son pointed out a plastic cup left by a previous hiker.  He said, “Mom, look, trash.  We better pick it up and take it back to the garbage can with us.”   Ahhh… a small success.  I was proud of him and thankful for his attitude.

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Asian Festival DC 2010, See You There!

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

This Saturday and Sunday, July 31 and August 1, we’ll have a booth at the 7th Annual Asian Festival located in Reston, VA

The event celebrates the people and cultures of Asia and draws from 60,000 to 70,000 attendees each year. This year’s highlight country is The Philippines. So all you Pinoys out there come represent!  We’ll have shirts for several Asian countries in our booth which is located near the Tennis Park (home to the concerts and Thai Tennis Tournament).  For more details on all the great events and exhibitors at the festival, check out the website: http://www.asianfestivaldc.com/

See you there and look for our banner!

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HerCampus USA T-Shirt Winners – Why They Love Their Country

Monday, July 12th, 2010

KissMyCountry sponsored a 4th of July giveaway on HerCampus – the ‘collegiette’s guide to life!’.  With three USA t-shirts to give away, HerCampus asked collegiettes to write about why they love the USA and then selected the top 3 submissions.  Here are the winning entries.  We hope each winner enjoys their t-shirt as much as we’ve enjoyed your entries.  Great job and thank you!

Sara B:  Love For An Adopted Country and An Adoptive Family
I love my country because it gives me so many opportunities I may not have had.  I was adopted from South America as a child, and I cannot even begin to imagine my life had I not been adopted into such a loving and caring family.  They support me in everything I try to accomplish, and are there for me whenever I need them.  I love my family, my country, and the abilities both give me to do what I love.

Cassie S: Love for the Freedom to Be Who You Want to Be
I love my country because it is the only place where you can truly be an individual.  Uniqueness is celebrated, not punished.  As a person trying to free herself from the pressures she feels, it is great knowing that I can be who I want to be, feel and express myself how I want, and life the life I dream to.

Chrissy C: Love for the Freedom to Speak Freely
I love my country for many reasons, but one of the most important reasons is freedom of speech.  When I hear of censoring or oppression in other countries, I can’t help but be thankful I can speak my mind freely without worrying.  As a journalist, this is huge and I am so happy to have this freedom.

HerCampus is an online magazine for college women with national content on Style, Health, Love, DormLife, Career and World and individual content from 42 US colleges and universities.  HerCampus is written entirely by the nation’s top college journalists, currently has over 200 writers contributing articles, and was started by three Harvard undergraduates – Stephanie Kaplan ’10, Windsor Hanger ’10, and Annie Wang ’11 during the Fall of 2009.  Take a look at this exciting site – we know you’ll find something of interest!

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