Originally published by Tacoma Rainiers on November 1st, 2019
For the month of November, the Tacoma Rainiers will donate a portion of revenue from all team-licensed hat sales to support Jason Lee Middle School’s “Watts Up!” solar array fundraiser, which is organized by the Jason Lee Parent-Teacher Association, through a Rainiers initiative called “R Hat R City.” Every Rainiers hat purchased in-store and online during “R Month of Giving” will provide $5 to the solar project.
“Watts Up!” was proposed in 2019 by three former Jason Lee students and their middle school science teacher, Kathy Hall, to have solar arrays installed on the school, with the intent to save over $10,000 in energy costs annually. The project was approved by the Tacoma Public School board, contingent upon raising $198,000 before installation can begin.
“The work that Kathy Hall and these students are putting in for their school and the well-being of our community is pretty inspiring,” said Tacoma Rainiers president Aaron Artman. “The Rainiers are excited to support their cause and give our fans a unique way to assist an important fundraiser.”
“Watts Up!” forecasts between $2.5 million and $3.5 million in savings for the Tacoma Public School District over 25 years if solar arrays are placed on 10 schools. On Sept. 19, the fundraiser received a $50,000 grant from Tacoma Public Utilities’ Evergreen Options Renewable Energy Project.
“This means everything to me and is why I became a teacher of science,” Hall said. “I want to develop the next generation of stewards for our planet, which takes precedence over everything to me. This is about connecting kids to the place they live, so they will want to take care of it.”
The Tacoma Rainiers have seen a 138 percent growth in licensed merchandise sales since 2015, with hats and men’s apparel making up approximately 70 percent of those sales, and have been one of the top-25 Minor League Baseball teams in licensed merchandise sales for four consecutive years.
Tacoma Rainiers hats and other merchandise can be purchased online or in-store at the We R Tacoma Team Store located at Cheney Stadium. The Team Store is open Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. More information about “R Hat R City” can be found at the link here.
To inquire about 2020 season tickets and hospitality options, contact tickets@wertacoma.com. The most up-to-date news and notes about the Rainiers throughout the season can be found by WeRTacoma.com, or by following the Rainiers on Twitter (@RainiersLand), Instagram (tacomarainiers) and liking the team on Facebook.
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Evergreen Options Renewable Energy Grants
In the fall of 2017, Tacoma Power launched an innovative grant program for local schools, nonprofits and government agencies to submit proposals for deploying their own renewable energy projects.
This annual grant program helps recipients generate a portion of their own electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar. Recipients can also get credit for any extra electricity provided back to the utility. Funding comes from Tacoma Power residential and business customers who participate in the Evergreen Options program.
Visit MyTPU.org/Evergreen for more information about Evergreen Options.