Happy Earth Day!
Today marks the 50th annual Earth Day! At the same time, today is also an unusual Earth Day as the world battles an international pandemic. The world is changing in response to this crisis, and it’s had both positive and negative affects on the planet. Wherever you are today, it’s important to remember that your eco-conscious efforts can make a difference. It only takes one person to have an impact.
Photos by Lupe Bustos.
It was this exact sentiment that 8123 Impact was developed from over three years ago. Since then, 8123 Impact has united hundreds of members of the 8123 Family who wanted to make a difference. This Earth Day, I wanted to reflect on one that stands out particularly strong in my memory - in Buffalo back in 2017. 8123 Impact partnered with the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy to clean up Martin Luther King Jr Park - a major park in the city of Buffalo.
It was, and still is - our largest 8123 Impact event to date. I had the privilege of attending this event myself, and I can’t describe how cool it was to get to know some of you guys while coming together for the greater good. As someone who works with The Maine, I also can’t fully describe to you how cool it was of all five of the band members to be there. Knowing the amount of hard work that goes into touring and how much effort The Maine put in to everything they do, it was incredible seeing them get up early, brave the cold (it was November in Buffalo after all), and put in physical labor for a couple of hours before going straight to a sound check for their show that night. They did this accompanied by 50 fans - all without complaint - every single person there was striving to make a positive difference. Several local fans even went on to continue as regular volunteers with the non-profit as a result.
Earth Day is about reflecting on your environmental impact, thinking about how you can do better in your everyday life, and appreciating everything this world has given us. Even more than that, it’s an opportunity to inspire stronger efforts for environmental protection. I wish we could spend this Earth Day gathered in a park together planting trees, but perhaps today is a great day to instead challenge ourselves on how we can make an impact individually - even from home. Because if everyone took that pledge, the world really would be a better place.
I hope you are staying home if you can and staying safe. I can’t wait until we can all come together again, and I hope to see you at an 8123 Impact event really soon.
-Chelsea, and 8123