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Rangers turn green in efforts
By Ryan Boldrey
The Lewis-Palmer boys’ basketball team is turning green.
No, they did not get sick on their recent trip south to compete at a tournament on Texas Tech’s campus in Lubbock, and no, they are not changing their colors from the longstanding traditional orange and black.
The Rangers are simply practicing more than just hoops this summer.
They are also doing what it takes to be responsible residents of planet earth, and they are encouraging everyone to come join them in doing such between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 18, when they host an electronics collection event at LPHS, which is located at 1300 Higby Road in Monument.
“‘60 minutes’ did a show on the disposal of electronics and the damage that this is causing to the environment if not disposed properly and that really raised my attention,” said LP basketball parent Jason Grooms, who helped come up with the fundraising idea at a parent’s meeting and hooked up with GRX recycles to help run the event.
According to GRX’s Web site (www.Grxrecycles.com) research estimates that electronic waste, which is a threat to soil and water supplies worldwide, accounts for 80 percent of America’s toxic garbage and that number is growing exponentially.
Also, according to the Web site, as much as 50-80 percent of U.S. electronic waste is exported to third-world countries where it is generally handled under conditions that are severely injurious to the local environment and public health.
Not to mention, electronic waste has become the largest source of lead in solid waste landfills, comprising 40 percent of the total waste.
GRX, which has seven locations nationwide, including two in Colorado — one in Denver and one in Colorado Springs — guarantees that more than 95 percent of all materials will be fully recycled for remanufacture and none of the recycled materials will be incinerated, land-filled or shipped abroad to be dumped.
When approached by Grooms about the idea, LP head coach Russ McKinstry supported it without hesitation.
“In other places I’ve coached we’ve always tried to do something where you provide a service instead of just trying to sell something or ask for handouts, so we are always looking for opportunities to do that and to give back to the community and let them know that all the assistance they give us is appreciated,” he said. “This just seemed like a great opportunity.”
The Rangers are asking that people bring in all unwanted electronics to the high school. The boys will take cell phones, computers, printers, mice, old keyboards, fax machines, scanners, TVs up to 36 inches and small kitchen appliances, amongst other items.
Operative cell phones are the one item that will not be handed over to GRX as they will instead be given to a local chapter of TESSA, a women’s group that is working to prevent domestic and sexual assault against women.
There is a fee for recycling your old electronics, but that fee covers the costs of their proper disposal and any additional proceeds, as well as cash donations, go directly to the team, which is trying to raise money to compete at an elite-level tournament from Dec. 16-20 in Orlando, Fla.
Both the varsity and junior varsity teams plan on heading to Orlando to compete against some of the top competition from around the country.
“It’s an opportunity for us to expose our kids to a high level of basketball and also at the same time to provide them a chance to see all the sites of Orlando,” McKinstry said, adding that while there the teams will get to visit such places as the Epcot Center, Universal Studio, the Animal Kingdom and Disney World.
McKinstry also hopes that the competition in Florida will get the Rangers ready for what looks to be a tough Colorado Springs Metro League yet again this year.
Recycling Fees:
Big Screen/projection and console TVs- $40
Computer Monitors- $10
Computer towers, desktop printers, fax, scanners and AIO Machines and small kitchen appliances- $5
Cell phones, keyboards, mice and toner cartridges – no charge
No, they did not get sick on their recent trip south to compete at a tournament on Texas Tech’s campus in Lubbock, and no, they are not changing their colors from the longstanding traditional orange and black.
The Rangers are simply practicing more than just hoops this summer.
They are also doing what it takes to be responsible residents of planet earth, and they are encouraging everyone to come join them in doing such between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 18, when they host an electronics collection event at LPHS, which is located at 1300 Higby Road in Monument.
“‘60 minutes’ did a show on the disposal of electronics and the damage that this is causing to the environment if not disposed properly and that really raised my attention,” said LP basketball parent Jason Grooms, who helped come up with the fundraising idea at a parent’s meeting and hooked up with GRX recycles to help run the event.
According to GRX’s Web site (www.Grxrecycles.com) research estimates that electronic waste, which is a threat to soil and water supplies worldwide, accounts for 80 percent of America’s toxic garbage and that number is growing exponentially.
Also, according to the Web site, as much as 50-80 percent of U.S. electronic waste is exported to third-world countries where it is generally handled under conditions that are severely injurious to the local environment and public health.
Not to mention, electronic waste has become the largest source of lead in solid waste landfills, comprising 40 percent of the total waste.
GRX, which has seven locations nationwide, including two in Colorado — one in Denver and one in Colorado Springs — guarantees that more than 95 percent of all materials will be fully recycled for remanufacture and none of the recycled materials will be incinerated, land-filled or shipped abroad to be dumped.
When approached by Grooms about the idea, LP head coach Russ McKinstry supported it without hesitation.
“In other places I’ve coached we’ve always tried to do something where you provide a service instead of just trying to sell something or ask for handouts, so we are always looking for opportunities to do that and to give back to the community and let them know that all the assistance they give us is appreciated,” he said. “This just seemed like a great opportunity.”
The Rangers are asking that people bring in all unwanted electronics to the high school. The boys will take cell phones, computers, printers, mice, old keyboards, fax machines, scanners, TVs up to 36 inches and small kitchen appliances, amongst other items.
Operative cell phones are the one item that will not be handed over to GRX as they will instead be given to a local chapter of TESSA, a women’s group that is working to prevent domestic and sexual assault against women.
There is a fee for recycling your old electronics, but that fee covers the costs of their proper disposal and any additional proceeds, as well as cash donations, go directly to the team, which is trying to raise money to compete at an elite-level tournament from Dec. 16-20 in Orlando, Fla.
Both the varsity and junior varsity teams plan on heading to Orlando to compete against some of the top competition from around the country.
“It’s an opportunity for us to expose our kids to a high level of basketball and also at the same time to provide them a chance to see all the sites of Orlando,” McKinstry said, adding that while there the teams will get to visit such places as the Epcot Center, Universal Studio, the Animal Kingdom and Disney World.
McKinstry also hopes that the competition in Florida will get the Rangers ready for what looks to be a tough Colorado Springs Metro League yet again this year.
Recycling Fees:
Big Screen/projection and console TVs- $40
Computer Monitors- $10
Computer towers, desktop printers, fax, scanners and AIO Machines and small kitchen appliances- $5
Cell phones, keyboards, mice and toner cartridges – no charge
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