Our Crowdfunding Groups
Longhorn Lights Out (LLO) is a volunteer group at the University of Texas at Austin that seeks to reduce energy consumption and promote environmental sustainability on campus. On the last Friday of every month, our organization holds campus-wide events in which participants reduce energy usage by turning off lights, unplugging unnecessary electronics, and powering down computer equipment. It's always surprising to see just how many lights are left on even after everyone leaves for the weekend! LLO's efforts are the perfect example of how small actions can have a big impact. Since our inception in April 2013, LLO events have saved over 115,000 kWh of electricity, equating to over 90 months of electricity saved from a typical Texas home. With your generous donations, LLO will be able to advertise more to gain support for our cause, cover event expenses, and hold meetings more frequently, thus increasing energy savings and educating more participants on how they can be more sustainable in their everyday lives.
At our monthly events, we assign each building on campus to a group of students, and they set out to complete their mission of energy conservation. During this time, volunteers also record the number of devices turned off through our mobile link, leave magnets and notes as friendly reminders to save energy, and capture the experience through photos and videos sent to our Twitter page. Upon their return, we announce the winners of our LLO photo contest and teach members about sustainability. We also engage in activities such as "Energy Conservation Trivia" and host presentations including an information session on UT's first ever Sustainablity Master Plan. The President's Sustainability Steering Committee set the goal for campus to reduce energy and water use by 20 percent by the year 2020. We hope to help UT meet and even exceed these conservation goals with the power of the "Dark Side."
Support for energy conservation is quickly spreading across the entire galaxy! For the past three semesters, we have teamed up with other universities in the U.S. for Campus Lights Out, a joint conservation endeavor that combines the efforts of each university’s conservation program in order to save energy and resources. In October 2015, Pennsylvania State University, Bowling Green State University, Kansas University, The University of Toledo, and the University of Texas at Austin all participated in the third Campus Lights Out event. We hope these events encourage faculty, staff, and students to get involved by turning off lights and electronic devices all around these institutions and inspire more campuses to join in. This semester, our marketing chair began assembling informational packets for groups that want to help start similar programs at their schools, and we are excited to say we have already received responses from interested students and teachers!
Outreach is also a very important aspect of Longhorn Lights Out! Over the past three years, we have educated the general public about sustainability at many events, including Explore UT, the Campus Volunteer Fair, and the Student Organization Fair at freshman orientation. At these events we discuss issues in energy consumption, water usage, and food waste to raise awareness about resource usage. Every year, LLO also participates in UT's Earth Day Celebration, so be sure to come by on April 22nd to learn more about us! As a kick-off to Earth Day, LLO leaders have collaborated with UT sustainability staff to make the famous UT tower go dark the evening of April 21st in order to save energy and show UT's commitment to energy conservation.
For more statistics, pictures, and information from LLO, please check out our website!
Longhorn Lights Out stands for saving energy, spreading awareness about sustainable practices, and creating an engaging environment for volunteers to be active in this cause. The funds from Hornraiser will allow LLO to give more volunteers our signature "Dark Side" shirts, which is LLO's most successful form of advertisement. The money raised will also help us cover event expenses that make our meetings more engaging and attractive to students, including prizes for our educational conservation trivia, the compost waste bags and food that we provide for participants, and other fun activities related to sustainability. We can also hold larger events more frequently with the increased budget, which will result in more energy saved and more participants educated on how to live sustainably. With your generous help, we can accomplish these goals and show our campus and community that everyday, environmentally-conscious actions can not only make a huge impact over time, but can also be fun and enjoyable!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Longhorn-Lights-Out-684141818309757/?fref=ts
Twitter: @LHLightsOut, #longhornlightsout
LLO Website: http://longhornlightsout.utexas.edu/
Email: leaders-llo@utlists.utexas.edu
With this donation, you will help us turn off approximately 300 lights and devices!
With this donation, you will help us support 10 students and turn off nearly 600 lights and devices!
At this level, you can help us turn off 1200 lights and devices. This will support nearly 20 students at an engaging and educational LLO event!
At this level, you will sponsor nearly 50 students for an event to turn off 3000 lights and devices!
Your donation will turn off 5,975 lights and devices, and support an entire LLO event of over 90 volunteers! We will thank you from our Facebook page for your generosity.
You will help turn off about 11,950 lights and devices. This would help sponsor two complete LLO events! To show our appreciation, we will thank you from our Facebook page, as well as invite you out to an LLO event to experience energy conservation first-hand.
With this generous donation, you will turn off about 23,900 lights and devices. This will allow us to hold an entire semester of LLO events! To show our appreciation, we will thank you from our Facebook page, as well as invite you out to an LLO event to experience energy conservation first-hand. As an added bonus for the first 5 donors at this level, you and a guest are invited to join us on a private tour of the top of the tower we are taking on Sunday, April 17th, 2016 at 2 PM in anticipation for the tower going dark on a night during Earth Week.
