Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accepts Green Youth Movement 2010 Humanitarian Award

Green Youth Movement Founder Ally Maize and Vice President Chloe Mills present Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with the 2010 Humanitarian Award at LA Fashion Weekend's green fashion show. (Photo credit: Djeneba Aduayom)

LOS ANGELES – (Business Wire) Los Angeles Fashion Weekend marked a successful feat for the Green Youth Movement (GYM), a local nonprofit that aims to teach sustainability and green living to the younger generation – the organization hosted THE GREEN INITIATIVE, an eco-friendly fashion show featuring environmentally conscious designers last Saturday, March 20 at Sunset Gower Studios. Prior to the runway show, GYM presented Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with the 2010 Humanitarian Award, marking the beginning of a partnership to bring sustainability to Los Angeles’ communities.

The event aimed to encourage America’s youth to follow the green trend and practice fashion with the environment in mind. With the intention to offset the carbon footprint of the show, GYM is planning a tree planting event with Million Trees Los Angeles, a vision begun by Mayor Villaraigosa to plant one million trees in Los Angeles over the next several years.

“I am committed to making Los Angeles the largest, cleanest and greenest city in the United States,” said Villaraigosa. “I ask all Angelinos to work with me and engage in this effort to grow our canopy cover for the future by planting one million trees today.”

Both green groups aim to plant and encourage the growth of trees in areas that need it most. By increasing the amount of trees, the people of Los Angeles can save on energy costs, clean pollutants from the air, help reduce the effects of global warming, capture polluted urban runoff, provide greater quality to our water, and of course make Los Angeles even more beautiful.

“Something as simple and organic as planting a tree can make a huge difference in the world,” says 17-year-old Ally Maize, founder of the Green Youth Movement. “This is a fun way for people in a community to join together and work towards the greater good of our planet.”

(source: Green Youth Movement)

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