Teen girls take on trash challenge

EcoLogical – a band of five junior high girls on a mission to win the national 2009 Lexus Eco Challenge – put on a fashion show Saturday at Islands and Ocean Visitors Center. The fashion “from trash” show drew some 100 people and 29 models who displayed clothing from recycled products, bread bags, newspapers, plastic sacks and even a dress made of Capri Sun drink containers.
Accomplishing the show is all part of a national contest challenging teenagers to take positive action for the environment. First-place teams win $10,000-$15,000 in grants and scholarships, and grand-prize teams win $30,000.
Students Sydney Paulino, Taylor Ellison, Katherine Dolma, Adi Davis and Hannah Baird (ABOVE) began the challenge Oct. 1. Within 30 days, they convinced the Kenai Peninsula Borough Waste Management to accept tin cans at the Homer landfill, and went to their site administration at Homer Middle School and talked them into curtailing the use of styrofoam trays. Then they organized the community around the idea of a fashion show entirely of recycled clothing, getting Boys and Girls Club patrons, Girl Scouts and community businesses such as The Fringe and owner Kari Multz on board.
The first phase of the contest ends with a powerpoint presentation due Nov. 6, then the girls will consider the next phase of the challenge.
“We might take more action, but no matter what, I think we’ve changed things for the better in Homer,” said ninth-grader Adi Davis. “The fashion show was a way to get the public to recognize that this can be fun.”
Five winners announced at the fashion show’s end included: Katlin Cudaback for her outfit made of bread bags; Zoe and Tiffany Story for Hula Trash; Taylor Ellison for her Capri Sun Dress; Irene Root for her “Little Bit Rock ‘n’ Roll” recycled T-shirt; Maddie Bowen took Judge’s Choice for her dress of Homer Tribune newspapers made by Naomi Klouda.
EcoLogical has a blog at 1ecological.blogspot.com.

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