Eco-Friendly Gift Shop Sponsors Youth Soccer Team, Inspires Green Thinking

Minneapolis, MN, September 10, 2007 --(PR.com)-- This fall, the Re Gifts Youth Soccer Team will learn more than just kicking and passing, they'll learn about recycling, composting, carbon emissions, and the benefits of organic nutrition. This eco-education is the inspiration of Ryan North, the team's volunteer coach and owner of "Re Gifts" gift shop. Re Gifts, located in south Minneapolis, sells local and U.S. made gifts, created with recycled, reclaimed, organic, and natural materials. Outside of selling jewelry made from discarded spoons and purses made from retired billboards, North's vision for his shop includes educating his customers and the public on how to live a greener life. With a built in audience of twelve eager soccer players and their moms and dads, North jumped at the opportunity to pass along some eco-values alongside his soccer instruction.

Coach North hopes to collaborate with soccer moms and dads, and other teams and coaches to create an eco-friendly soccer season including using recycling bins to recycle water and pop bottles as well as compost bins that will turn organic waste and paper into useable mulch. Driving the family car to and from practices and games creates carbon dioxide emissions that can contribute to global warming. North plans to address this issue by encouraging walking, biking, and carpooling to and from the soccer field. Post game snacks and beverages are somewhat of a soccer tradition, most often consisting of a juice pouch or box along with a plastic wrapped, processed treat. Re Gifts' team will celebrate post-game with locally purchased, healthier options like apples, trail-mix, and organic juice slushies – served not in a disposable Styrofoam cup, but in their own reusable cup from home. When it comes to the players' uniforms, green isn't only the color of the team's shirt, it's the concept behind them. Players and coaches will wear jerseys made with organic cotton and printed with eco-friendly ink.

Soccer is a sport where success is achieved when the team works together toward the same goal. The same can be said when it comes to the environment. If we all took small steps and worked together toward lessening our impact on our Earth, we'd all be winners. Especially when the leaders behind the movement are our children.

Re Gifts Soccer team's first game is September 12th at Keewadin Field in South Minneapolis.

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