Sustainable San Mateo County Announces 2013 Award Recipients

Sustainable San Mateo County (SSMC) this week announced the winners of this year’s 14th Annual Sustainability and Green Building Awards, held in memory of Ruth Peterson, the longtime SSMC supporter and former board chair who passed away last June.

The theme this year, Education—The Root of Sustainability, celebrates the importance of education in creating sustainable citizens and communities, the organization said in a press release.

"Our recipients and all the nominees display the passion and dedication to the community that we’ve come to expect over the years. We look forward to sharing their inspiring stories," said Adrienne Etherton, SSMC executive director.

Among the winners? Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT) of Redwood City.

RAFT is a nonprofit organization founded in California in 1984. RAFT's main focus is "to inspire, engage and educate children through the power of hands-on teaching." 

RAFT has always strived to be a "green" business by creating learning kits for teachers through recycled materials put together by volunteers. Making the kits from recycled materials also helps keep costs down for teachers and schools.

Here’s a list of all the SSMC award recipients:

Sustainable San Mateo County Sustainability Award Recipients

The SSMC Sustainability Award recognizes businesses, community groups, city programs, and individuals that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to improving sustainable practices within our county.

• Bruce Greenstein, Skyline College, San Bruno
• Sonrisas Community Dental Center, Half Moon Bay
• RAFT (Resource Area for Teaching), Redwood City
• Recology San Mateo County, San Carlos

Green Building Award Recipients

The Green Building Award, sponsored by SSMC, RecycleWorks, and the San Mateo County Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), highlights environmentally friendly design, recognizing owners, architects and builders.

• Education- Lower and Middle Schools Project, Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton

Owner: Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton; Architect: WRNS Studio; Builder: Herrero Contractors, Inc.

• Industrial- Shoreway Environmental Center, San Carlos

Owner: RethinkWaste/SBWMA; Architect: J.R. Miller & Associates; Builder: SJ Amoroso, Inc.

• Multi-Family Housing -  636 El Camino, South San Francisco

Owner: MidPen Housing Corp.; Architect: BAR Architects; Builder: Devcon Construction, Inc.

In honor of Peterson, SSMC is adding a new award category, the Ruth Peterson Award, and awarding it to Rosalyn Koo for her commitment to SSMC.

Koo, a life-long volunteer and social activist, served on the Board of Directors of Sustainable San Mateo County from 2006 through 2012. As a long-time friend of Peterson's, Koo was essential to the development of SSMC during these years, making connections and providing ideas, advice, and generous financial contributions.

Recipients will be honored at an awards dinner and benefit on Thursday, March 21, 2013 at the South San Francisco Conference Center.

Emcee Shelly Masur - a trustee on the Redwood City School District board - will lead the evening, which includes a video highlighting each winner’s accomplishments, and silent and live auctions hosted by State Senator Jerry Hill.

Tickets are available here. 

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