MEDIA ADVISORYContact: Olivia Doherty
301-656-0348

Teenagers Kick Off National Campaign to Get Drivers To Check Their Tires and Keep Them Properly Inflated

What:Loudoun Valley High School students hand out free tire gauges, teach residents about keeping tires properly inflated and calculate gas savings for their community. This event launches enGAUGE It, a national campaign aiming to enlist 2,010 high schools to participate in 2010.

When: Noon, Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22

Where:Loudoun Valley Shopping Center parking lot at the intersection of Main Street and North Maple Avenue
Purcellville, Va.

PURCELLVILLE, Va., - On Earth Day, several dozen students from Loudoun Valley High School will launch the enGAUGE It campaign to teach motorists about the value of checking their tires and keeping them properly inflated. The students will hand out thousands of free tire gauges at various locations around Purcellville after calculating how much gas - and money - would be saved if local motorists kept their tires properly inflated. Students will provide community members with tips and demonstrations on monitoring tire inflation. Elected officials are expected to attend, including Purcellville Mayor Bob Lazaro, and students will teach them about checking their tires.

This year's Earth Day event launches a national campaign to get 2,010 high schools around the country to participate in 2010 to educate drivers in their communities about tire pressure.

The Newton Marasco Foundation, based in McLean, Va., and dedicated to inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards, is sponsoring the enGAUGE It campaign and is providing students with the tire gauges. The foundation created a Web site where students from other high schools will be able to register for the enGAUGE It challenge, sign up for free tire gauges, find facts and tips on checking tire pressure and download a toolkit to help stage their own enGAUGE It event. Using the site, students across the country will be able to calculate the gas and cost savings in their communities. To find out more, please visit www.newtonmarascofoundation.org.

The U.S. Department of Energy has estimated that 1.2 billion gallons of gas are wasted annually due to under-inflated tires. When tires are properly inflated, fuel economy can improve by as much as to 3 percent, and motorists can save up to six cents per gallon. Tires should be checked monthly. For more information, visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtml. The California Air Resources Board recently adopted a resolution requiring auto repair shops to check tire pressure every time drivers bring in their cars for maintenance and smog checks.

"During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama made the suggestion that we all should check our tires regularly and keep them properly inflated," said Amy Marasco Newton, president of the Newton Marasco Foundation. "He's absolutely right. Drivers who keep their tires properly inflated can improve their fuel economy, reduce harmful emissions, spend less on gas and prevent auto accidents. It's a simple thing we all can do."

The Earth Day enGAUGE It event is cosponsored by the Town of Purcellville, Loudoun Valley High School and the Newton Marasco Foundation.
 
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The Newton Marasco Foundation's mission is to inspire responsible environmental stewardship. NMF designs innovative programs that foster learning, appreciation and caring for our natural environment through education, consulting, and celebration. For more information, visit www.newtonmarascofoundation.org.