First Selectman Mike Tetreau announced today that the public is cordially invited to attend “Summer Jam for a Cause” which will launch Fairfield's participation in the global “Skip the Straw” movement. The free, outdoor Summer Jam event kicks off this Friday, June 8, 2018 at 5 p.m. at the Fairfield Theatre Company (FTC) Warehouse, 70 Sanford Street. The event will feature the music of Creamery Station, refreshments from Two Roads Brewery, food, games and kid-oriented activities. The event also will support World Oceans Day as well as the CT Challenge bike ride benefiting cancer survivors.
Eight million metric tons of plastic are thrown into the ocean annually, including many of the 500 million plastic drinking straws used daily by Americans. The “Skip the Straw” campaign encourages individuals to simply request “no straw” at bars and restaurants, with those establishments encouraged to provide straws only on request and to use compostable or reusable alternatives to plastic straws.
The Fairfield launch of “Skip the Straw” was led by local organic beverage company Planet Fuel, whose mission is to inspire consumers to make conscious purchase decisions that are good for the body and good for the planet. Their giving arm, the Planet Fuel Charitable Fund (PFCF), provided a grant to Ocean Conservancy to support the expansion of this campaign.
"It has been wonderful working with the Ocean Conservancy to bring ‘Skip the Straw’ to Fairfield,” said Amy Barnouw, resident and co-founder of Planet Fuel. She added, “The members of our PFCF Student Council have worked with Ocean Conservancy to appeal to local businesses and we couldn’t be more thrilled that Colony Grill and FTC are the first to join us for this campaign.” Both Colony Grill and FTC have eliminated the use of plastic straws and have switched to paper straws upon request.
"We are proud to support the 'Skip the Straw' initiative at all of our locations," said Ken Martin, co-owner and operator of Colony Grill, which has locations in Fairfield, Milford, Norwalk and Stamford. He also stated, "The amount of plastic in our oceans is staggering and we want to do our part to help stem the tide. This collective effort seamlessly fits into our mission of civic leadership."
“The Fairfield Theatre Company is very pleased to support this effort locally by the Town of Fairfield and nationally through the efforts of the Ocean Conservancy,” said Joe Rog, Director of Development. He continued, “We see programs like ‘Skip the Straw’ and others as simple, common sense measures that will have a positive impact on our environment.”
Mary Hogue, member of the Town’s volunteer Sustainable Fairfield Task Force (formerly the Clean Energy Task Force), stated, “We invite individuals and businesses throughout the Fairfield community and beyond to join ‘Skip the Straw.' This seemingly small step can have big cumulative benefits for our local environment as well as the planet at large.”
Overall sponsors of the Summer Jam are BMW of Bridgeport, Bankwell, Planet Fuel Beverage Co. and Two Roads Brewery.
For more information on how to support the “Skip the Straw” campaign, please visit https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/outreach-education/skip-the-straw/.
For information or questions, please contact Mary Hogue, Sustainable Fairfield Task Force, 203-256-9802.