CONTEST GIVES KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE COLOR OF HALLOWEEN AND BENEFIT CHARITY Green companies partner to let kids design new eco-friendly trick-or-treat bags

    /24-7PressRelease/ - SEATTLE, WA, June 12, 2008 - Green Halloween and ChicoBag, two leading eco-focused companies, have launched a new initiative dedicated to encouraging children to take an environmentalist approach to the upcoming Fall holiday season.

Children ages 1-13 are eligible to submit an original drawing that they feel best captures the spirit of a Green (aka. eco-friendly) Halloween. ChicoBag, one of the world's leading reusable bag companies, will imprint the winning design on its 2008 trick or treat bags, which will be sold nationwide. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Treeswing, a nonprofit organization that promotes healthy eating and lifestyle habits for children. Designs will be selected by Green Halloween, a non-profit, grassroots, community movement created to inspire healthier and more Earth-friendly holidays, starting with Halloween.

Although the age range is wide, the judging panel will select a winning design based not on artistic skill, but rather how well it captures the essence of what a "Green Halloween" means. ALL DESIGNS ARE DUE BY SUNDAY, JUNE 22ND, 2008.
The winner will be notified by June 30th, 2008.

Design entries must be black and white only and may be submitted via digital file (jpg, pdf) or 10 x 10 piece of white, unruled paper. Entrants must submit their name, location, age and a parent's contact information; including their address as well as a telephone number and/or e-mail. Contest details are available online (http://greenhalloween.org/chicobag/) and questions can be directed to Corey Colwell-Lipson ([email protected]) 206-818-7591.

Entries can also be mailed to: Green Halloween - ATTN: Corey Colwell-Lipson / 381 Northwest Dogwood St. / Issaquah, WA 98027.

In addition to the pride of creating a design that will be carried by children nationwide, the winner will receive a variety of fun eco-friendly products including organic cotton clothing, ChicoBags, a non-toxic reusable water bottle, Xeko Starter Kits, Illumination Arts books, Preserve by Recycline products, ClifKid goodies and more.

About Green Halloween (www.greenhalloween.org): Green Halloween is a non-profit, grassroots community movement to create healthier and more sustainable holiday traditions, starting with Halloween. Founded by Corey Colwell-Lipson, a licensed marital and family therapist and mother of two, Green Halloween began in the Seattle area in 2007 and, this year, is going nation-wide. Green Halloween just one of Treeswing's innovative programs to improve the lives of children for generations to come.

About Treeswing (www.treeswing.org): Seeking to address the alarming trend towards childhood obesity and its devastating physical, social and societal impacts, Treeswing's mission is to create balanced, healthy environments for children and foster a lifetime of healthy habits and healthy families. Treeswing's focus is on education, collaboration and creating positive social change. Treeswing works to foster healthy environments for children and families by partnering with other organizations and utilizing a research and results-based model for measuring impacts and effecting change.

About ChicoBag (www.chicobag.com): ChicoBag's reusable shopping bags provide one of the most convenient and affordable solutions for breaking the single-use bag habit. The company is widely respected for its dedication to environmental preservation and it has instituted a recycling program through which its bags can be returned after they have finished their service. ChicoBag is also leading the charge on encouraging bag ban legislation to help limit the amount of single-use bag waste in the retail cycle. ChicoBag has been featured in Real Simple, Entrepreneur, Fortune, Natural Home, InStyle, PARADE, Natural Health, Money and many other print outlets, in addition to a variety of broadcast and online media. Its bags are in the hands of a host of eco-minded celebs : The Black Eyed Peas, Ed Begley, Jr., Amy Smart, Hilary Swank, Liv Tyler, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Carmody, Ty Pennington, Patrick Dempsey and many others.

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