Celebrate Earth Day with Edina High School’s Project Earth, Local Musicians

According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, the U.S. is “by far the single-largest national market in terms of volume” for bottled water, with some 8.4 million gallons consumed in 2009, and a corresponding $10.6 million price tag. While bottled water sales have seen a slight decline in the last few years—most likely due to a combination of environmental concerns and the tough economy—it’s clear the bottled water industry is still a booming business, especially here in the U.S.

And the more business booms for bottled water, the bigger the burden on the environment. This Earth Day, ’s environmental group Project Earth is doing something about it.

From 7-11 p.m. this Friday evening, Project Earth will host Earth Jam, a concert at The Depot in Hopkins. A fundraiser for Project Earth, admission to Earth Jam is $5. The line-up is a showcase of young, local talent, with up-and-comer (and Edina High School graduate) and a selection of current Edina High School student performers: Peter & Tyler Kang, Chloe & Taylor Turner, O.C.D. and The Last Fight. Each band is slated for a half-hour set.

Project Earth plans to use money raised from the event to purchase a Brita Hydration Station for Edina High School. The Hydration Station is a water bottle filling station that has a leg up on the school’s water fountains as it provides filtered water and is designed to fill reusable water bottles quickly and efficiently. 

Rachael Pream Grenier is the staff advisor for Project Earth. Pream Grenier said that a lot of the students and staff at Edina High School don’t like the taste of Edina water. Project Earth hopes the more pleasant taste of the Brita water from the Hydration Station will encourage people to make more earth friendly choices when it comes to their daily fluid intake.

“The idea is that students would be bringing reusable water bottles rather than buying plastic water bottles at school,” Pream Grenier said. 

Project Earth does not yet have a final quote for cost of the Hydration Station, but anticipates that it will cost a couple thousand dollars.

If you are a student at Edina High School, you can purchase a wristband for entry to Earth Jam at lunch all this week. A limited number of wristbands are available, though Pream Grenier predicts that some wristbands will also be available for sale at the door Friday evening. If you are not a student and you want to secure your spot at Earth Jam, call Pream Grenier at 952-848-3124 to arrange purchase and pick up of your wristband.

This marks the first Earth Day concert hosted by Project Earth. Other years have seen a similar event called Environmental Jamnesty, though Pream Grenier confirmed there will not be one this year.