Mariners take South Park kids to “Eco” School

A group of kids from Seattle’s South Park Community Center will learn about the Seattle Mariners environmental practices and tour Safeco Field’s solar panel installation on Tuesday, August 21, before the Mariners take on the Cleveland Indians. The kids will then stay for the game, Felix Hernandez’s first start after his perfect game, courtesy of Panasonic.

While at Safeco Field, the students will participate in a special Eco Learning Program class hosted by Panasonic. They will learn about the Mariners energy conservation and recycling efforts and how they can be “greener” at home. They will also learn about the Panasonic HIT solar panels including a tour of the installation at Safeco Field that has been generating carbon neutral power since April.

The students will also meet former Mariners outfielder Dave Henderson, have dinner and get a pack of limited edition trading cards, courtesy of Panasonic. Tuesday’s game is Salute to Japanese Baseball Night, presented by Panasonic. Other special game events include performances by taiko drummers, a group that specializes in Japanese baseball fan chants and cheers, and other activities to celebrate the Japanese culture and rich tradition and history of baseball in Japan. Because it is also “Supreme Court Night” at Safeco Field in honor of Felix’s perfect game, the kids will receive a commemorative T-shirt and “K” card.

The Mariners recycle over 80% of all waste generated at Safeco Field, and have significantly reduced consumption of electricity, water and natural gas. The Panasonic HIT solar panels, attached to the top of the skybridge from the Safeco Field garage, will generate approximately 40,000-kilowatt hours of power annually which will go into the Safeco Field distribution grid. From April to mid-August, the panels generated a total of 19.16 MWh of electricity, enough to power over 6,000 homes for one hour.