Earth Day plaza party

The Progressive Club of Healdsburg High School will host their
ninth annual Earth Day Festival in the plaza this Saturday April
23.
Earth Day is a celebration of art, music and presentations that
support the ideas of environmental education and social justice. It
began as a high school event until last year when the club brought
the Earth Day celebration into the community.
“Earth Day is important for it allows the students a chance to
define the day through their activities,” said HHS instructor Rebel
Fagin who oversees the club. “We try to empower the students
through education to act on behalf of the earth.”
Several months ago students from the club began planning and
fundraising for the Earth Day event. They hosted a ‘Battle of the
Bands’ fundraiser and continue to collect the weekly recycling for
the high school to raise money.
“I think this is an important event for the community because to
a great extent people don’t realize how much danger our environment
is in and how much we can do to stop that and what we can do to
turn things around and get public policy going in the direction of
helping the earth,” said HHS sophomore Aaron Miller.
Together the dozen students that make up the Progressive Club
have organized everything from vendor booths to security coverage
and the rental of the plaza. Several students created flyers,
banners and marketing materials while others contacted local
businesses for donation items for the silent auction. The students
also solicited speakers and bands.
“This year we will have a lot more bands playing, and there will
be a lot of different people expressing different points of view
not just on environmental issues,” said senior Melanie Rader, who
is the booth coordinator.
She said it is also a good way for all of the clubs from HHS to
be together on the same day and for the community to get to know
the students from each club. Other HHS clubs will be tabling and
putting on performances, including dancing by Danza Azteca
Xontotl.
“There will be tons of information on different programs and
groups that work on things related to the Russian River and peace
activist groups and information on how to get involved with these
organizations,” Rader said.
The Progressive Club’s mission is to think globally and act
locally. They strive to practice sustainable agriculture and work
toward a post-carbon future. The club embraces diversity, eschews
hierarchies, operates through consensus and believes that there can
be no peace without justice.
“The Progressive Club is an important part of a student’s
education for we learn about the environment, the politics that
both support and attack the environment, and the steps we can take
to defend the earth,” Fagin said. “Look, if you make the world a
better place, you get to live in a better place. It is that
simple.”
The Earth Day event will offer over 25 booths including The
Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County, Slow Foods Sonoma
County, Free Mind Media, Department of Fish & Game and many
more.
An opening ceremony of bagpipes will kick off the day at 11 a.m.
followed by speakers and band performances until 4:40 p.m.
Supervisor Mike McGuire will speak in the morning along with a
performance by HHS Jazz Band.
The Earth Day event is free to the public and open to all
ages.
Staff Writer Robin Hug can be reached at [email protected].