A recycling program spearheaded by Mercury Marine and implemented at the 2013 Walleye Weekend Festival in Fond du Lac, Wis., earned a Gold Pinnacle Award from the International Festivals & Events Association in the “Best Green Program – Budget Under $250,000” category.
 
Area elementary school students decorated 55-gallon recycling containers with various environmental themes for a chance to win a $500 grant toward green initiatives and education. The containers were then placed along high-traffic areas during the 2013 Walleye Weekend festival and were highly utilized.
 
“Mercury Marine was thrilled with the success of the inaugural Mercury Marine Recycling Challenge,” said Denise Devereaux, vice president of human resources at Mercury Marine. “We sought an opportunity to reinforce our passion for natural resource sustainability and were overwhelmed at the level of interest we received from the 12 participating schools that decorated the recycling containers and the festival-goers who helped us collect 1.2 tons of recyclable material.”
 
Pinnacle awards are presented to festivals and events around the world for outstanding accomplishments in promotion, operations and community outreach. The professional competition draws entries from among the world's top festivals and events.
 
“The Mercury Marine Recycling Challenge is a widespread community effort. It started with Mercury's commitment to environmental sustainability, involved many area school students’ participating and commitment from many partners,” said Leanne Doyle, executive director of Fond du Lac Festivals. “The end result was raised awareness of recycling by Walleye Weekend guests, and ultimately 1.2 tons of recycled materials were reclaimed.”