Congratulations Efest Volunteer Coordinators‏

More than 50 people gathered last night at The Beach House on Siesta Key to honor the coordinators that helped support Efest 2008. Congratulations to the following individuals for winning special awards.

Randi Saba - (Spirit of Efest Award)
Roger Landry - (Most Valuable Player)
Catherine Seress - (Efest Champion Award)
Nikki Heil - (Efest Champion Award)
Kathy Keh - (Efest Champion Award)
Heidi Allwood - (Outstanding Newcomer)
Annette Gueli - (Above and Beyond Award)
Rebecca Madden - (Above and Beyond Award)
Cheryl and Tim Mooney - (Above and Beyond Award)
Gaye Hukel - (Heart Inspiration Award)
Michelle Atkinson - (Heart Inspiration Award)
Bryan Moore - (Bridge Builder Award)
Lee Randall - (Bridge Builder Award)

We hope that many of you will be back to help us develop and support Efest 2009. Thank you so much for all of your kind assistance this year. Efest is special because you care!

Happy Holidays. Randy

2008 Efest Photos

Efest Photos has arrived. See if you can see yourself in these amazing photos of the 2008 Efest. Great festival with family, friends, food, music, art, pets and many more....
Enjoy.



Please let us know what you think about these photos by writing your comments in our Green Blog.

Efest Announces Winners of 2008 Eco-Art Contest

Lindow, Rio, Wolfe, Cioffi, Gormley, Velikan, and Botschner Win Awards at Efest 2008 Eco-Art Contest


With 50 exquisite entries to choose from in Efest 2008’s Eco-Art Contest, the public – and the judges – were hard pressed to select just one. This year’s entrants ranged in age from five to 84 and were comprised of amateurs and professionals, students and art groups. Assemblage artist Richard Hinger provided the Eco-Art Contest with its “Trash to Treasure” young woman that graced the entrance to the exhibit.

The three main-prize winners are: for Individual Entry, Stig Lindow and “Oscar,” a fish made from metal parts from 1950s garage doors; for Group Entry, submitted by Harmony Rio, Kelly Wolfe, and Janet Wolfe, “Reconstructing a Sleeping Venus;” and for People’s Choice, “Discover Nature – Play Outside” by nature photographer Kelly Cioffi.

Honorable mentions this year go to: Michael Gormley with “35 Hours with a Downed Citrus Canker;” K a r e n a V e - likan’s “Goddess;” and last year’s People’s Choice winner, Carla Botschner with “Faerie Dress,” created with used dryer sheets and lint. Prize sponsors this year include: Pro-Motion Notions, Stephanie Heidemann, Catherine Seress, Whole Foods, Local Coffee + Tea, LolaBlueLiving, Sunny Day Soap, Juno & Jove, Frumples, and D. G. Dart.

Please let us know what you think about this article by writing your comments in our Green Blog.

VESPA WINNER

Bernie Gottschalk of Sarasota won the LX50 Vespa at Efest. Bernie is an executive with Sarasota and Her Islands Convention & Visitors Bureau. Bernie is originally from Michigan and Massachusetts. She moved to Sarasota in 1973 after a vacation.

"Efest offers our community and all of Southwest Florida a wonderful opportunity to interact with professionals in the green living community," she said. "Kudos to everyone involved with Efest".

Efest 2008 Was a Success!

THANK YOU EVERYONE

Thank you for attending Efest. We had more than 25,000 visitors of all ages from throughout the region and beyond. We met visitors from communities throughout Florida and other cities around the U.S. including Atlanta, Chicago, and Boston. We even met a gentleman from China who was in the area as part of a cultural arts visit. Another visitor from Hawaii told us that he plans to create a similar event in his home state. Efest touches thousands of lives with helpful information and inspiration.

A few of our accomplishments related to sustainability included removing more than 90 percent of our waste and recyclables within two hours of the event concluding. Efest was powered by biodiesel and most of our signs were made of recycled material. We want to thank all of the dedicated individuals and organizations that worked together to make Efest special. This includes our sponsors, exhibitors, entertainers, speakers, artists, volunteers, and vendors. A special thank you to our volunteer coordinators who honored our theme of "All Shades Green" with their can do spirit and goodwill.

Please complete our online survey to help us improve Efest. Details about Efest 2009 will be posted soon. You can also sign up for our Efest Eco-Newsletter to stay informed about other eco-friendly events and initiatives. Efest is a 501c3 non-profit organization that depends on financial and volunteer support. Please give generously and thank you for encouraging positive change in your community.

Sincerely,
Randy Moore
Executive Director



Please let us know what you think about efest by writing your comments in our Green Blog.

4 DAYS FOR EFEST

We are almost there. Don't forget to bring your friends, family, kids, and pets. We have everything for a great family weekend. RAIN OR SHINE. We are open.

Raffles, food, music, etc. Check our poster and spread the word.

Call For Volunteers

We have posted an online sign up form for volunteers at www.efest.us

Please encourage your significant other, another close friend, or an associate to register to be an Efest volunteer. Think about some of the people you know who care about the environment, appreciate great music, and enjoy having fun. They would be ideal volunteers for Efest.

We will give every volunteer a tee shirt when they arrive. We have three shifts on both days - 8:30-11:30am, 11:30am-2:30pm, and 2:30-5:30pm. Inquiries about volunteering can be directed to Kim Hale at efestvolunteers@gmail.com.

Efest 2008 New Poster

Efest Posters has arrived.
You can stop by the Efest office (1910 Robinhood Hood, Sarasota, FL) to pick up posters and start promoting Efest.

EFEST joined Social Networking

Efest has joined the social networking revolution with listings on MySpace and FaceBook. We welcome friends of Efest to register on both sites.

EFEST 2008 FOOD VENDORS : UPDATE

Efest 2008 will feature more than 20 top restaurants offering a wide variety of food options including healthy cuisine. Most entries will be in the range of $4 and $7. Efest also features a beer garden with traditional and organic beer, coffee and tea, and other refreshments.

2008 Efest Food Vendors:

• First Watch Restaurant (SPONSOR)
• Sugar Shakers Restaurant
• Sandbar Restaurant
• Veggie Magic
• Front Door Organics
• Honey Baked Ham
• The Broken Egg Restaurant
• Mermaids Ice Cream
• Sweet Smiles Snowie

Please email Cheryl Mooney, the food coordinator, at efestfood@yahoo.com if you are interested in being a food vendor at Efest 2008.

For more information please check our website at www.efest.us

Efest Networking at Hotel Indigo

More than 40 volunteer coordinators with Efest 2008 met recently for a networking event at Hotel Indigo in Sarasota. The Efest coordinators meets monthly to build team cohesion and brainstorm ideas. Additional coordinators are needed to help distribute posters, organize a healing arts tent, help with volunteer recruitment, and support Efest sponsors and exhibitors.

Please email Randy Moore at randy@efest.us. Individuals, couples or families interested in volunteering at the event itself should email Kim Hale at efestvolunteers@gmail.com. Efest will need hundreds of volunteers.

Efest Green Team : WELCOME

Thank you to the exceptional individuals helping to produce Efest 2008.

Efest is a volunteer-inspired 501c3 non-profit organization.
Members of the Efest Green Team include (presented in random order): Amara Cocilovo (South Florida Museum), Heidi Allwood (Little Bookworms Bookstore), Bryan Moore (Positive Change Media), Paige Long (Safescapes Landcare), Nikki Heil (Whole Foods Market), Lee Randall (Positive Change Media), Catherine Seress (Author), Jesse White (Sarasota Architectural Salvage), Rick Hughes (AnythingArts.com), Laura Gale (Everything But The Girl), Monica Eshkoli (Freaky Tiki Surf Shack), Randy Moore (Positive Change Media), Thierry Rouillard (Local Coffee & Tea), Cheryl Mooney, Mark Zampella (MNX Ventures and Positive Change Media), Jake Keiser (Keiser & Company), (PurpledCreative), Craig Hancock (Balance Fitness), Elise Lipoff, Mike Sales (Professional DJ), Michael Henshaw (LexJet), Carissa Warfield (Silver Studio), Holli Schleicher (Professional Photographer and Michael Saunders Real Estate), Ellie Parnes (Positive Change Media), Karen Reynolds (Unicare Systems), Sheryl Rosen (Comcast), Sandy Ritchie (Tax Consultant), Kathy Keh (Professional Consultant), Gaye Hukel (Carlson Studio Architecture), Roger Landry (Building Energy Solutions), Jacque Rene Marion (Real Estate Professional), Kim Hale (Sporting Good Sales), Anya Nadal (Professional Artist), Kim Miele (Professional Events Coordinator), and Debbie Moran (BodyTalk Practitioner).

OPENING AVAILABLE:

Efest has additional needs for volunteer coordinators.
This is a great way to make new friends while supporting a fun and meaningful community event. Please email Randy Moore at randy@efest.us.

Alternative Vehicles - Present a display of new and modified alternative vehicles.

Exhibitor Support - Manage a team of volunteers supporting Efest exhibitors.

Horticulture Tent - Recruit organizations focused on native plants and sustainable landscaping.

Non-Profit Outreach - Build bridges with select non-profits focused on the environment and personal wellness.

Poster Distribution - Manage a team of volunteers distributing Efest posters throughout the region.

Private School Outreach - Build bridges and recruit volunteers.

Public School Outreach - Build bridges and recruit volunteers.

Raffles & Donations - Manage a team of volunteers selling tickets for donated gift items.

Signage Support - Liaison with the Efest sign sponsor.

Welcome to efest 2008

The fourth annual Efest is expanding to two days to enable more people to attend from throughout Florida. We expect 25-30,000 visitors this year.

The three E's in Efest are education, eco-commerce, and entertainment. Efest 2008 will feature the Green-N-Healthy Expo under the super tents, live music featuring top area bands, eight panel discussions with leading experts, the children's eco-village, the Trash to Treasures Eco-Art Contest, and diverse food and refreshments. New this year is an expanded emphasis on green building products/trends, and a special area celebrating Florida's cultural diversity.

Thank you for helping us spread the word about Efest 2008 with your family, friends, and professional colleagues. We welcome inquiries from prospective sponsors and exhibitors at accounting@efest.us. Working together, we can all be part of the positive change that supports our environment and our economy.

Global Warming Warning...

Gov. Schwarzenegger of California and Gov. Crist of Florida team up in a potential battle against the EPA to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Check out the following clip posted on YouTube and consider:

1) Do you believe Florida's Coastline is in danger?
2) Is this a Republican/Democratic issue or a People issue?
3) IS there Gold in Green?
4) How do you feel about Gov. Schwarzeneggar suing the Federal Government if a partnership cannot be reached?