The Hard Rock Cafe at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor will shut off the lights on its iconic guitar and different neon signage for one hour Saturday because it participates within the World Wildlife Fund’s annual Earth Hour motion.
“It’s bringing in our motto ‘Save The Planet,’” mentioned David Thomas, Baltimore Managing Partner for Hard Rock Cafe. “It’s one among our missions, mottos and values, and has been since we began. The Earth Hour is a second of unity that brings us collectively.”
Started in 2007, Earth Hour encourages people, companies, and different contributors to change off their lights for an hour as a present of help for environmental safety.
This yr, as well as to the lights out demonstration, the World Wildlife Fund is asking on contributors to do one thing constructive for the planet. The group has some options on their web site, corresponding to making a zero-waste meal or writing letters to native legislators urging them to help insurance policies for the discount of plastic air pollution.
Typically held on the final Saturday of March, Earth Hour will as an alternative be held on March 23 this yr to accommodate the Easter vacation, mentioned World Wildlife Fund public relations consultant Tara Doyle. The hour-long occasion will happen from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International, which was acquired by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in March 2007, have participated within the Earth Hour since 2019. Over the previous 5 years, they’ve conserved greater than 14,000 kilowatt hours as a part of the initiative. Hard Rock recorded its highest participation in Earth Hour in 2023, with 135 of its cafes, casinos, and inns participating within the occasion, the corporate reported.
“We’re taking part by going dark. Turning off all of the neons, the guitar on the skin constructing, to present our dedication to being a part of a cleaner, extra eco-friendly world,” Thomas mentioned.
While lights on Hard Rock Cafe’s exterior shall be off for that hour, inside lighting and different electrical energy will stay on as a result of the restaurant shall be in the course of dinner service.
“At that time, particularly on that night, we’ll have our full capability restaurant, so now we have to watch out for our company,” Thomas mentioned.
While Thomas mentioned he hasn’t heard any feedback from clients throughout earlier Earth Hours, among the cafe’s neighboring companies have proven curiosity within the demonstration.
“I’ve seen our neighbors say issues…. We allow them to know that we partake and encourage them to see if they need to,” he mentioned.
Doyle, of the World Wildlife Fund, mentioned she hadn’t heard of every other Baltimore-area companies taking part on this yr’s Earth Hour, however she hopes extra will be a part of this yr.
“Anyone is welcome to participate within the occasion, and we regularly discover out about new contributors the day of,” she mentioned.
Several U.S. landmarks shall be taking part, together with the Empire State Building in New York City, the Space Needle in Seattle, and Niagara Falls, Doyle mentioned.
