A new season is upon us! Can you believe it? MARCH! Obviously with this month comes Spring… and with Spring we get the beautiful sun, beautiful grass, beautiful flowers, beautiful colors… basically everything beautiful. It is a time of year Mother Earth really loves showing off, and why shouldn’t she? But she doesn’t stop there! As we segue into April she shows off even more… crazy winds and lovely rainstorms! April is also known worldwide as Earth Month, pretty perfect timing if you ask me! Although we should treat every month as though it’s Earth Month, April gives us an amazing excuse to really come together locally and globally in order to further help and protect our wonderful Earth.
The history of Earth Month takes us all the way back to a time of platform shoes, bright polyester clothing, Bonanza, The Jackson 5 and The Godfather. A time when every vehicle could be considered a “gas guzzler”, a smoggy city was a booming city, and the shape of the environment was not on many’s radar. Say hello to the 1970’s! Although many fun memories were made in the seventies, the overall environmental health of our planet was a different story. It was the year 1969 when a U.S. Senator named Gaylord Nelson became inspired after witnessing a huge oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. The infamous spill claimed almost 30 miles of sandy beaches and much of the ocean. The devastation was hard to ignore and something had to be done. Senator Nelson had remembered the passion and intensity of the student anti-war movement during Vietnam, and decided he wanted to duplicate that energy and persistence in accomplishing a broader knowledge of air and water pollution. After some persuading and a lot of recruiting, a national staff was built and the first demonstration for a healthy environment was promoted. On April 22, 1970 millions from coast to coast gathered in streets, schools, parks, parking lots, and auditoriums to raise awareness of the environment and protest the deterioration of it. It was one for the books! So many came together… men, women, children, rich, poor, cowboys, city girls, Democrats and Republicans. Everyone became aware and agreed on something, we only have one Earth and need to take care of it. And that my friends, is how Earth Month was born.
Over the years, our fight for clean air and drinkable water has continued and keeps getting stronger. It is celebrated by more than one-billion people worldwide and AVEDA is always in on the action. Since 1999, AVEDA has been contributing and raising money for Earth Month. $6.4 million was raised in 2016, and the goal for 2017 is even bigger. As an AVEDA lifestyle salon, the Ihloff Team’s enthusiasm for Earth Month is off the charts! It is Christmas all over again. Our team exceeded our 2016 goal last year of $14,000 and raised over $15,000. This year we want to reach a goal of $18,000! As tradition, we partner with three wonderful causes;
Global Green Grants, a Global charity who support change by donating all over the world to mobilize resources for global environmental sustainability and social justice.
Gulf Restoration Network, a network committed to preserving and protecting natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico.
STIR- Save the Illinois River, our local partner who’s mission is to protect and preserve the Illinois River, its tributaries and Tenkiller Lake.
Stay tuned for more Ihloff and Earth Month information…
