Protecting the environment remains a top priority for the students of Mrs. Pitman’s Grade 1/2 and Mrs. Miller’s Grade 5 class at PIUS XII Catholic School. The students won first prize in Wal-Mart’s 2003 Earth Day Contest for their conservation efforts in helping to clean up the schoolyard, for holding in-school performances stressing blue box use and for recycling waste products into compost soil to plant flowers, trees and grass in and around the school grounds. The students were rewarded with a special plaque and a cheque for $600 from Wal-Mart Store 3097 in Sudbury for their re-greening efforts.

Wal-Mart provides grants to local schools to support environmental projects and education in communities where stores are located. On Earth Day, associates nationwide announced the names of local schools receiving an environmental grant earmarked for a project that will benefit their community.

In 2003, Wal-Mart contributed more than $1.7 million to local schools through Environmental Grants. The company has been awarding environmental grants since 1990. “We are proud to support the initiative of young people who are working to better our environment,” said Betsy Reithemeyer, director for the Wal-Mart Foundation. “We continue to strive to be a dedicated, active partner in the environmental efforts of our local communities.”