Project Porchlight Blog

The 28th annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning on July 23-25 in Readington, New Jersey, featured huge balloons—ginormous balloons!--in a variety of shapes, including a scarecrow, a barn, and a haunted house. More than 110,000 people attended this year’s event at Readington’s Solberg Airport. Along with mass hot air balloon ascensions, the festival also included family activities, vendors, and performances by Emily Osment, Air Supply, and Rick Springfield.

Project Porchlight was on hand for all three days of the festival to educate folks about the energy savings offered by compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs as well as the energy efficiency programs that are available through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP).

A total of 2,300 CFL bulbs were distributed at the festival, part of Project Porchlight New Jersey’s campaign to distribute energy-efficient light bulbs to residents across the state. Project Porchlight is an initiative of One Change, and the campaign is made possible thanks to funding by the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and the NJCEP.

“Project Porchlight was definitely bringing a good message to our entire crowd,” says A.J. Weiss, Director of Corporate Development for The Festival Group, which presents the ballooning event. “Project Porchlight helped spread awareness of the importance of conserving energy. The campaign is really a great hands-on way to get out there in the public eye and raise awareness.”

When it comes to protecting our environment, simple actions really do matter! Even something as simple as changing a light bulb can make a difference. CFL bulbs use up to 75 percent less energy than old-fashioned incandescent bulbs, which means that CFL bulbs mean lower costs, reduced demand for electricity, and, ultimately, less pollution.

A.J. took his CFL bulb home and put it in the lamp on nightstand next to his bed. “Obviously, CFL bulbs help people save money on bills, but it also helps the environment as well,” he says. “I’m glad to help keep this good thing going.”

By connecting with state residents one at a time, Project Porchlight is empowering people of all backgrounds to make smart, energy-efficient choices that protect the environment.

A.J. was thrilled to have Project Porchlight at the festival. “Given that our crowd is mostly families, it’s definitely a perfect fit,” he says. “Project Porchlight is out there with one bulb at a time, spreading the word by word of mouth. And really, word of mouth is the best type of viral marketing out there.”