The Shatford Centre is urging Penticton residents to pledge to switch off for Earth Hour, and in turn give them a chance to win an energy upgrade.
If Penticton has the most people, per capita, pledging to switch off for Earth Hour on Saturday at 8:30 p.m., the Shatford Centre will win a $5,000 FortisBC Earth Hour Challenge energy upgrade. Penticton will be joining landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace and provincial Parliament buildings in shutting down for Earth Hour.
Summerland is also asking residents to turn off the power with hopes that they can win the $5,000 energy upgrade for the Summerland Asset Development Initiative.
By pledging to switch off for Earth Hour, residents can win a weekend getaway at the Manteo Resort in Kelowna and dinner at the Wild Apple Grill. Participants in the FortisBC Earth Hour Challenge just have to turn off lights and non-essential electronics for one hour on Saturday starting at 8:30 p.m.
Last year, more than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched of their lights. Keremeos took the honours of winning the 2011 FortisBC challenge, with the Royal Canadian Legion branch 192 earning the prize. Pledges can be made at www.fortisbc.com/earthhour.