Project Porchlight Blog

The Puyallup Fair is a whirling dervish of fun, excitement, and energy. People from across the south Puget Sound community flock to the fairgrounds for the roller coasters, live music, petting farms, and unusual treats like chocolate bacon and fried Twinkies.

Project Porchlight couldn’t resist the bustling activity, so we decided to join in the festivities. From September 17 to 19, our team set up a booth in the education building and spoke to thousands of fairgoers about energy efficiency, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, and the importance of making smart choices that protect the environment.

“I couldn’t believe the turnout!” says Project Porchlight Call Center Manager Joshua Bentley (pictured here), who came out to lend a hand with the massive crowds. “People were coming by pretty much nonstop. And we had some really interesting visitors. Captain Johnathan Hillstrand and his son Scott from Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch came by to pick up their CFL bulbs!”

Our trip to the Fair turned out to be a fantastic idea. In just three days, we handed out 4,500 energy-efficient light bulbs, and signed up more than 50 volunteers to help with future blitzes, as well as with partner Puget Sound Energy’s Rock the Bulb campaign events.

“We had an amazing time,” says Project Porchlight Events Coordinator Anna Cronin. “The fairgoers were so receptive and friendly! I would definitely go back—both to spread the word that simple actions matter and to try some of the other rides!”

Thank you Puyallup for showing us such a good time and being so willing to get involved. We won’t soon forget your generosity and kindness. Or the taste of chocolate bacon!

Washington state’s oldest local energy utility, Puget Sound Energy serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 750,000 natural gas customers in 11 counties. A subsidiary of Puget Energy, PSE meets the energy needs of its growing customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service and delivering energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible. For more information, visit www.PSE.com.