It was a cool September morning when 645,000 spectators gathered around the streets of Richmond to watch thousands of cyclists from all over the world race for gold at the 2015 UCI Road World Championships. Among the crowd was Emily Foo, ’17, but she was there for another reason. As an intern for the city of Richmond’s Office of Sustainability, she was educating spectators on how to be green by increasing their awareness of recycling, composting, and other environmental issues.
“We wanted to help organize and implement initiative working to decrease the negative impact left on the community,” Foo says. “Not only did [the race] bring cyclists and spectators from all over the world to Richmond, but it brought people, businesses and different groups within the Richmond community together. With an event of that scale, achieving a high level of sustainability truly makes such a big difference.”