From mind-blowing magic and sultry singing to rocking country tunes and kids dancing, One Change [1] wrapped up Project Porchlight Alberta in style. On March 15, One Change hosted the Simple Actions Matter in Alberta Celebration Event at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary. The event was organized to thank all of Project Porchlight Alberta’s supporters, including more than 4,000 volunteers and dozens of community groups across the province that helped to make the campaign such a huge success.

“What an incredible show!” said Project Porchlight Alberta’s Campaign Manager Scott Payne. “It was so great to see kids and folks of all ages from across Alberta who volunteered and supported the campaign enjoying the evening, dancing, and singing along with the performers. It was a real treat to show them just how much we appreciate the hard work they did to help their families, friends, and neighbours save money and electricity, and do their part for the planet.”

The event was headlined by Grammy-nominated pop-country darlings Emerson Drive [2], who rocked the house, and featured outstanding performances by Canadian Idol’s songstress Jenn Beaupré [3], artist Joe Castillo’s mesmerizing SandStory [4] show, and Calgary’s own master of illusion Sean Watson [5]. Canadian actor, comedian, and acclaimed columnist Mag Ruffman [6] emceed the glamorous evening.

Guest speakers included Minister of Environment Hon. Rob Renner [7], EnCana Corporation Executive Vice-President of Corporate Relations Gerry Protti [8], Calgary Deputy Mayor Brian Pincott [9], and One Change Executive Director Stuart Hickox [10].

“All Albertans have a role to play when it comes to the environment,” said Minister of Environment Hon. Rob Renner. “Project Porchlight is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when government, corporations, communities and individuals come together and commit to one simple act for the environment.”

The star-studded event coincided with the announcement that One Change had donated 210 compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs to the Calgary Tower to help the beacon of Alberta save more than $12,000 and cut over 100 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere. To highlight the campaign’s province-wide success and to show the world how much Albertans care about the environment, the lights on the Calgary Tower glowed green for a week [11].

“From Calgary to Edmonton, from Medicine Hat to Grande Prairie, and everywhere in between, Albertans proved that simple actions really do matter,” said One Change Executive Director Stuart Hickox. “Changes as simple as switching one energy-efficient light bulb really do add up and lead to more sustainable behaviours that help people save money and the planet. In these tough economic and environmental times, that’s something we can all use more of.”

One Change [12] empowers people to believe that simple actions matter and to make smart choices that protect the environment. The award-winning non-profit organization created the Project Porchlight campaign to help raise awareness about the simple steps people can take to benefit themselves and the environment, such as changing a light bulb.

From 2007-2009, Project Porchlight Alberta distributed more than 800,000 free CFL bulbs to residents across the province. Volunteers visited over 250 cities and communities big and small, braving extreme weather to reach Albertans door-to-door and at community events of all sorts.

The energy-efficient CFL bulbs helped Albertans reduce their energy use by 382,000 MWh—that’s equivalent to energy consumed by approximately 50,000 Alberta homes in a year or close to $29 million in energy costs saved over 5 years.

One Change would like to thank all of the generous sponsors that made Project Porchlight Alberta possible: The Government of Alberta [13], EnCana Corporation [14], The City of Calgary [15], The City of Edmonton [16], and The City of Medicine Hat [17], as well as campaign partners Climate Change Central [18] and Shaw Cablesystems [19].

“The people of Alberta embraced Project Porchlight with open arms—people here really understand we’re all responsible for energy use and making simple actions matter,” Stuart said. “Now that Albertans have made the switch to energy-saving light bulbs, everyone is asking us ‘What is the next One Change?’”

“Our answer is water!” Stuart exclaimed. “Changing showerheads, installing faucet aerators, and turning the tap off when brushing your teeth, are all simple actions that help to preserve Alberta’s precious fresh water resources. One Change is excited to be developing a new water conservation campaign to help Albertans save billions of litres of water and millions of dollars on water bills every year.”

“That’s less money and water down the drain!”

One Change looks forward to sharing more information about their new water campaign when details are available. In the meantime, for more One Change news and exciting campaign information, please visit onechange.org [20].

View photos from One Change's Simple Actions Matter in Alberta Celebration Event. [21]

View photos of One Change greening the Calgary Tower. [22]