Earth Day’s 25th Full Of Planet-Friendly Spirit Sun Bathes Park Observance, Including Race Car Drivers

Twelve-year-old Roman Patterson stayed awake until 2 a.m. building a solar-powered miniature car with his dad.

“We had to make some adjustments this morning,” he said. “We couldn’t test it last night because there was no sun.”

There was plenty of sunshine Saturday at the 25th anniversary celebration of Earth Day in Riverfront Park.

Patterson, a Logan Elementary student, watched his car win first place for both design and speed at Spokane’s first Junior Solar Sprint Race - one of many events in the park.

Thirteen toy-sized cars made of wood, rubber bands and small solar panels raced at speeds up to 5 mph on a track set up on a bridge near the Carrousel.

“It gives them an engineering problem to design a kind of car that we all could drive around in someday,” said David Hales of the Washington State Energy Office, which organized the race.

Entrants bought $5 kits from the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colo. Next year, Spokane may join a national solar car competition sponsored by the lab, Hales said.

Saturday’s double-elimination races were as exciting as the gasguzzling Indy 500 for the children who entered.

In the first heat, a car named Eat My Dust flipped over, but landed on its wheels and still won.

In the finals, a loose paper clip caused a fifth-grader’s car to stall at the starting line - and the fifthgrader to choke back tears.

“It’s better to come in third than nothing,” sniffed 12-year-old Drew Bascetta.

Other events included a bird house auction, a Spokane River cleanup, a multi-media show and a fun run. More than 200 runners participated in the five-mile Run for Nature at 8 a.m. The course took them through Riverfront Park to Mission Park and back.

A short ceremony marked the planting of a red oak tree on Canada Island.

“Our hope is this tree will still be here on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and we will see a world where man will finally seek harmony with nature,” said Rich Leon, vice chairman of the Spokane Sierra Club.

Leon remembered that 75 to 80 people helped organize Spokane’s first Earth Day. He was one of them. This year’s events were pulled together by about 15 people, he said.

Earth Day’s message remains upbeat, he said.

“A lot of people are turned off by the negative things happening,” he said. “If you can put together something positive, people are more apt to listen to what you have to say.”

Recycling, Earth-smart shopping and composting got more attention Saturday than global warming, threatened species and the diminishing rain forest.

Natalie Kelsey, 17, won an award for running a recycling program at Lewis and Clark High School. Her school environmental group also works with children at Hutton Elementary.

Young children’s enthusiasm for the environment inspires her, she said.

“I remember what it’s like to be that little and that bright-eyed,” Kelsey said.

Earth Day events continue today at 4 p.m. at Gonzaga University’s Jepson Center with an interactive discussion on “Enhancing HumanEarth Relationships” with Jane Blewett of Earth Community Center in Maryland.