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Marks Anniversary of Project Green Wolf, Continues to be First and Only Hotel Chain to have All U.S. Locations Green Seal Certified – Silver
On the one-year anniversary of the company’s Project Green Wolf(TM), Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, continues to celebrate its distinction as the first and only national hotel chain to have all properties achieve the Green Seal(TM) Certification — Silver for the lodging portion of its 10 Great Wolf Lodge(R) brand resorts and its Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center(TM) in the United States. Additionally, Great Wolf Lodge — Niagara Falls received a four leaf Green Leaf(TM) Eco-Rating from the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program in Canada.
In 2007, Great Wolf Resorts started reducing energy and water usage across its properties as part of the Green Seal Certification process. After implementing a variety of energy-saving business practices, the company is proud to report a reduced electricity consumption of more than 1.5 million kWH in 2009. Gas usage was also reduced by 234, 806 Therms for the year. Lastly, reduced water usage resulted in an overall savings of nearly 4.5 million gallons in 2009.
"The proof is in the numbers, " said Kim Schaefer, chief executive officer of Great Wolf Resorts. "The changes we made to the lodging portion of our business certainly had a positive impact on our bottom line, but more importantly, we’re setting the bar for sustainability within our industry. It’s our way of making every day Earth Day at Great Wolf Lodge."
Although the Green Seal Certification only applies to the lodging portion of Great Wolf Resorts, the company is also dedicated to creating "greener" waterparks through its Project Green Wolf, a program launched in 2009 that includes guidelines for the waterpark and other resort amenities. Key areas of the program include: management of fresh water resources, waste minimization, energy efficiency, environmentally and socially sensitive purchasing, and guest education. Two of the company’s locations — Sandusky, Ohio and Grand Mound, Washington — participate in on-site composting, which has kept thousands of tons of food waste out of local landfills and is instead being used as fertilizer.
In celebration of the one-year anniversary of Project Green Wolf, Great Wolf guests are invited to enjoy a variety of new Cub Club activities centered around sustainable fun from now until May 27, 2010. Developed in partnership with National Geographic Kids(TM), activities include Energy Exploration, a series of touch and feel displays for families to experience ways they can create and conserve energy, and Green Scene, featuring earth-friendly projects for kids including personalized recyclable flower pots.
"We’re always looking for ways to expand our edutainment programs, " said Schaefer. "The goal of our new Cub Club activities is to make learning about sustainability fun and easy for families. We want to show children that it’s easy being green."
For more information about Project Green Wolf and Great Wolf Resorts’ other environmental initiatives, visit www.ProjectGreenWolf.com.
About Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc , Madison, Wis., is North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, and, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge(R) and Blue Harbor Resort(TM) brands. Great Wolf Resorts is a fully integrated resort company with Great Wolf Lodge locations in: Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; Sandusky, Ohio; Traverse City, Mich.; Kansas City, Kan.; Williamsburg, Va.; the Pocono Mountains, Pa.; Niagara Falls, Ontario; Mason, Ohio; Grapevine, Texas; Grand Mound, Wash.; and Charlotte, N.C.; and Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center in Sheboygan, Wis. Through Great Wolf Resorts’ environmental sustainability program, Project Green Wolf(TM), the company is the first and only national hotel chain to have all US properties Green Seal(TM) Certified — Silver.
The company’s resorts are family-oriented destination facilities that generally feature 300–600 rooms and a large indoor entertainment area measuring 40, 000–100, 000 square feet. The all-suite properties offer a variety of room styles, arcade/game rooms, fitness rooms, themed restaurants, spas, supervised children’s activities and other amenities. Additional information may be found on the company’s Web site at www.greatwolf.com.
About Green Seal
Founded in 1989, Green Seal provides science-based environmental certification standards that are credible, transparent, and essential in an increasingly educated and competitive marketplace. Its industry knowledge and standards help manufacturers, purchasers, and end-users make responsible choices that positively impact business behavior and improve quality of life.
A nonprofit organization, Green Seal issued its first environmental standards in 1991-2, and the first product certifications were completed in 1992. Thousands of products and services from major companies have now been certified to meet Green Seal standards, and the number of major product categories covered by standards has increased to more than 40. Green Seal may be found online at www.greenseal.org.
