Custom Awards Created for Green Giant Green Awards

Bennett Awards recently designed and produced a new set of custom awards for “The Green Awards”, an environmental program sponsored by Green Giant. The Green Awards program seeks to recognize the pioneering leaders, communities, and everyday families who are innovating to make our world more sustainable. Many of the country’s leading environmental groups have joined together with Green Giant to support and advance this award program, including The Nature Conservancy, The Environmental Defense Fund, Rainforest Alliance, Surfrider Foundation, American Rivers, Defenders of Wildlife, Foundation Earth, and Bioneers among others.

Earlier this year, pioneering leaders, communities and everyday families were asked to submit short videos and essays that described their green initiatives. Finalists in four categories were selected through a combination of consumer voting and a judging panel of environmental experts from The Green Awards board. Entries were judged on three criteria: 1) creativity and inspiration; 2) impact on the community and beyond; and 3) rationale for additional funding. The four recognition award categories were:

Green Civic Leader: Designed for a mayor, city council member, alderman, elected official, judge, parks and recreation commissioner or civil employee who is making a positive impact on the environment.

Green Entrepreneur: Designed for the individual who is an inventor or business owner focused on making a positive impact on the environment.

Green Local Organizer: Designed for the individual who has an idea or initiative, outside of the business world, that positively impacts the environment by creating a positive social change within the community.

Green Parent: Designed for a parent or guardian who inspires or creates change that positively impacts the environment for the children of their communities.

12 finalists – three in each category, where selected and flown to The Green Awards program, held May 13, 2011, in Los Angeles. The recognition awards ceremony was emceed by actress Amy Smart and HGTV star Carter Oosterhouse. The grand prize winners received a $25,000 cash prize, in addition to unique, custom awards designed by Bennett Awards. Bennett Awards created a unique custom trophy design based on a 3D representation of The Green Awards logo. These distinctive trophies feature a pewter leaf-shaped design that holds a green crystal globe. The pewter leaf image is finished in brushed pewter. The green globes feature clear surfaces for each of the continents, and opaque surfaces for the oceans. These unique awards are mounted on black marble bases that feature customized engravings with The Green Awards Logo, the Green Giant logo, the name of the award category, and the name of the award recipient. A group shot of these custom awards can be seen by clicking the following link: "The Green Awards".

The grand prize winners in each category were:

Green Civic Leader: Caden Hare of Rohnert Park, CA, for The F.A.B. Project, which treats wastewater using less energy and increases bio-gas production by combining local organic wastes.

Green Entrepreneur: Will Allen of Milwaukee, WI, for teaching kids and community members how to grow healthy food in small, unconventional urban spaces.

GGreen Local Organizer: Cate Arnold of Boston, MA, for Global Youth Leaders, a model for greening schools and curriculum.

Green Parent: Bea Johnson of Mill Valley, CA, for Zero Waste Families, a blog about living simply and waste-free.