Baltimore, MD (March 24, 2008) – The National Aquarium in Baltimore is pleased to announce its first-ever Green Gala – an evening of food, entertainment and fun that highlights the elegance, sophistication and rewards of sustainable living. Taking place on Saturday, April 5, the event will feature examples of creative, interesting and effective ways to embrace a greener lifestyle.  From a special menu highlighting thoughtful choices to an enviro-friendly auction and eco-tours of great ideas and green practices, the evening will celebrate both the easy and the unusual for an environmentally friendly lifestyle.

     Beginning at 8 p.m. guests will be immersed into a festive atmosphere and can dance the eco-friendly night away in the Aquarium’s two-story atrium until midnight. Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased online at aqua.org/greengala or by calling 410-727-FISH. Sponsorship information and e-mail updates are also available.

Guests at the first annual Green Gala will be invited to experience:

A delectable menu featuring sustainable and organic local food choices from Baltimore’s top restaurants and caterers
A raffle to win a 2008 Toyota Prius
The opportunity to bid on an array of eco-friendly items
Dancing in a chic, elegant atmosphere
Eco-tours with topics such as green interiors and design, action stations, bayscaping
The Aquarium’s aquatic animals in their habitats
The benefits of living a cleaner, greener lifestyle!
Multiple auctions will raise funds to support Aquarium conservation initiatives throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. An online auction on aqua.org/greengala will run in the weeks leading up to the Green Gala. The on-site auction will include only enviro-friendly items such as a trip to an all-expense paid organic spa adventure, a variety of green home services, natural skin products and much more. And one very special Maryland resident will go home in a 2008 Toyota Prius, which will be raffled courtesy of Toyota.

In addition to serving as a presenting sponsor of the Green Gala, Constellation Energy will kick-off a year-long sustainability partnership with the Aquarium. As North America’s largest competitive provider of power  to wholesale, commercial, industrial and governmental customers, Constellation Energy is dedicated to developing sustainable energy solutions and offering a variety of products to help its partners reduce their impact on the environment.

“We are working with fellow Maryland-based organizations, like the National Aquarium, to establish sustainability partnerships to protect our shared environment,” said Paul J. Allen, chief environmental officer and senior vice president, Constellation Energy. “Our state’s competitive energy market is empowering local businesses to purchase clean, renewable energy certificates that reduces the environmental impact of their electricity use and improves their environmental footprint.”

In addition to many local sponsors, select restaurants will participate in the event to help highlight the sustainable and organic food choices that can be found around Baltimore. The menu will feature items from The Classic Catering People, Roy’s, Oceanaire, Cafe Azafran, The Dogwood, and Stone Mill Bakery.

“We are delighted to host an event that will celebrate the thoughtful choices being made by our community and help people get excited about green living,” said Executive Director Dave Pittenger.  “We have formed relationships with sponsors like Constellation Energy because of their actions and attitudes toward sustainable living. This event gives us a platform to highlight those actions and all of the strides being taken in and around Baltimore to support a greener generation – and we encourage all groups to come forward and help celebrate their own contributions.”

The first annual Green Gala is proudly supported by Constellation Energy, Toyota, M&T Bank, SimEx Iwerks, Amtrak, Bluehouse, GreenConnected, The Classic Catering People, Comcast Spotlight, WBAL-TV, Style Magazine, Urbanite and Chesapeake Life. 

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, a non-profit organization, is Baltimore’s leading attraction, hosting more than 1.6 million visitors per year. The Aquarium’s mission is to connect people with aquatic life in order to create a better world for both. It’s dedication to education and conservation through more than a dozen programs that serve the environment and the community. Log on to aqua.org for more information.

 Constellation Energy (www.constellation.com), a FORTUNE 125 company with 2007 revenues of $21 billion, is the nation’s largest competitive supplier of electricity to large commercial and industrial customers and the nation’s largest wholesale power seller. Constellation Energy also manages fuels and energy services on behalf of energy intensive industries and utilities. It owns a diversified fleet of 78 generating units located throughout the United States, totaling approximately 8,700 megawatts of generating capacity. The company delivers electricity and natural gas through the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), its regulated utility in Central Maryland.

»Download Green Gala Release (PDF)

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