Austin FC and the Club’s sustainability partner YETI announced today GO VERDE! Week, a week-long series of sustainability initiatives highlighted by a city-wide litter clean-up on Lady Bird Lake hosted by Rowing Dock on Earth Day, April 22.
“One of Austin FC’s three community pillars is vibrancy through sustainability, which is a focus area we are proud to share with our partners at YETI,” said Austin FC VP of Community Impact Kaitlin Mauro. “Though the launch of our annual Go Verde! Week, we hope to encourage fans to join us in protecting and promoting Austin’s green spaces, which are central to making our city vibrant and full of life.”
The week kicks off on Monday morning with a Sustainability Breakfast at Q2 Stadium, presented by Texas Disposal Systems (TDS). Members of the TDS and Austin FC teams will lead the breakfast’s panel discussion on Austin FC’s sustainability and diversion efforts on match days. As the official Waste and Recycling Partner of Austin FC, TDS manages Q2 Stadium’s recycling, composting and disposal, and facilitates diversion through more than 70 strategically placed Eco Stations located throughout the stadium.
“Our commitment to environmental stewardship through operating practices that are safe, measurable, economical and environmentally sound motivates our efforts to work with innovative local organizations like Austin FC that value sustainability and work toward building a better future for our communities,” said TDS Principal Owner and CEO Bob Gregory. “After achieving a 71 percent diversion rate during Austin FC’s first season, we’re looking forward to the continued evolution of our partnership and to continuing to play a key role in sustainability efforts at Q2 Stadium.”
On Friday, April 22, volunteers from the Austin FC and YETI front offices as well as club supporters will come together for Rowing Dock’s first-annual Earth Day lake and land cleanup on Austin’s iconic Lady Bird Lake. The Earth Day event is free to the public, with advance online registration required. In an unusual twist on a traditional clean up, volunteers will have the option to pick up trash by boat or by land, with prizes going to the groups that pick up the most, the heaviest and the weirdest items.
“It’s really exciting to join forces with Austin businesses who share our commitment to preserving our city’s beloved natural spaces and public parks,” said Susan Goldberg, owner of Rowing Dock. “We’re looking forward to having Austin FC and YETI team members out to help us clean up Lady Bird Lake and surrounding parkland.”
Austin FC and YETI volunteers will receive Earth Day shirts which will also be available for purchase at the VERDE Store, with proceeds benefitting EcoRise, an Austin-based nonprofit that inspires a new generation of leaders to design a sustainable future for all.
Finally, for the Club’s April 23 home match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, a group of children will get a pre-match tour of Q2 Stadium and match tickets courtesy of YETI.
“YETI is committed to keeping our wild spaces wild, and that includes our backyard here in Austin,” said Paulie Dery, CMO at YETI. “From providing refillable water stations and bottles at Q2 Stadium to cleaning up trash on the rivers, we’re committed to keeping Austin Verde any way we can.”
The series of events aligns both with Major League Soccer’s Greener Goals week and with Austin FC and YETI’s commitment to sustainability. Austin FC’s home Q2 Stadium received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in November 2021 for the commitment to sustainability undertaken in the stadium’s construction and design. The stadium features a number of innovative sustainability efforts, including electric vehicle charging stations, 140 solar panels on its southern roof, and a policy which allows fans to bring in an empty 30-ounce reusable vessel and fill it up with free water, eliminating the need for single-use plastic bottles.
For more information on GO VERDE! Week and to stay up-to-date on all of the Club’s sustainability stories and initiatives throughout the season, visit www.austinfc.com/community/sustainability.
