The power of the pen (or keyboard)
February 11th, 2010 by admin
Last weekend the Town of Jupiter hosted its annual “Jupiter Jubilee” celebration. Local resident Michelle Rivera attended the event with her grandson. The event was a success, but for one detail. Helium balloons were handed out to children. During the time Michelle was at the event, she watched no less than a dozen balloons float up into the sky. For a beach town like Jupiter, this was a problem. Michelle knew that helium-filled balloons can become a dangerous form of marine pollution. Sick turtles, dolphins and other animals have been found with balloons in their stomachs. It’s believed that the balloons may be mistaken for food.
Michelle wrote to the town, politely requesting that helium balloons not be given out at future community events. The Town replied with a pledge to “provide guidelines for our sponors with regards to give-aways, to ensure that they are kinder to our environment.”
Way to go Michelle! ARFF thanks you for not assuming that somebody else would complain about the problem. Your experience is proof that often all it takes is one e-mail, letter or phone call to make a difference.