As Green Bay prepares to host the 2025 NFL Draft from April 24-26, the city synonymous with the Lombardi Trophy and some of the greats who have graced the gridiron, the city is actively working for the good of the local community to commemorate Earth Day.

Earth Day is an annual event held on April 22 that is celebrated worldwide to raise awareness about environmental issues and encourage people to take action to protect the planet. It is a day to unite and celebrate the importance of our natural world, and to remind everyone that even small actions can make a big difference.

Green Bay is operating its first battery electric bus, which is running on the popular Downtown to Titletown route during this week’s NFL Draft. This milestone highlights the city’s commitment to clean energy and sustainable transportation.

“Introducing our first electric bus during Draft week on Earth Day eve highlights Green Bay’s commitment to the city’s clean energy plan, which calls for us to embrace innovative, efficient, and sustainable transportation solutions,” said Mayor Eric Genrich. “It’s an exciting moment for our community, and I’m pleased we’ll be able to showcase this new technology to thousands of new Green Bay Metro riders.”

The International Federation of American Football focuses on sustainability at events and tournaments. As part of its event hosting contract, IFAF requires local organizing committees to identify key areas where they can support the sustainability agenda.

At the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships at the Pajulahti Olympic Training Center in Finland, the LOC delivered a campus-style tournament to minimize travel, which was supported by locally sourced food, and featured an active recycling program.

Is Charlotte, North Carolina, at the 2023 IFAF America’s Flag Football Championships, the LOC provided transit shuttles for spectators and players. At the 2024 IFAF U20 World championships in Edmonton, Canada, public transport was again at the heart of travel logistics.

Green Bay will also bring together more than 300 volunteers at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary for a day of environmental stewardship and community engagement during NFL Draft week. Participants will contribute to various conservation efforts, including tree planting, trail system improvements, invasive species removal, and park clean-up.

“This is a fantastic partnership between the city and our Conservation Corps to put our best foot forward to celebrate Earth Day and to make sure that our community is looking fantastic as we have hundreds of thousands of visitors coming to the City of Green Bay,” aged Mayor Genrich.

These efforts demonstrate Green Bay’s strong commitment to environmental conservation and community involvement, while also preparing the city for the influx of visitors expected for the NFL Draft.

Earth Day has its roots in the US state of Wisconsin – home to the Green Bay Packers. Back in 1969 then Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson was concerned about the deteriorating environment in the United States. Earth Day was first celebrated a year later in 1970 and inspired 20 million Americans — at the time, 10% of the total population of the United States — to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development which had left a growing legacy of serious human health impacts.