JEDDAH Hilton celebrated Earth Hour 2016 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday (March 19). The hotel joined thousands of Hilton Worldwide more than 4,600 properties across 102 countries in switching off energy and shining a light on climate change by hosting various Earth Hour activities for Team Members, franchised employees and guests to take part in reducing energy use and preserving the environment. This year, Hilton Worldwide is expanding environmental celebrations to the full month of March, reinforcing the company's commitment to addressing climate change and driving an even larger impact. "At Jeddah Hilton we keenly support all Hilton Worldwide sustainability initiatives and this year our celebration of Earth Hour included activities designed to engage our guests and staff and make it a truly enjoyable event, while creating awareness of energy conservation as a vital part of reducing the effects of climate change," said Kevin Brett, General Manager of Jeddah Hilton. "In addition to celebrating Earth Hour, Jeddah Hilton supports other social responsibility initiatives such as Soap for Hope, a program dedicated to preventing disease and saving lives by recycling left over soap for distribution to poor communities lacking access to proper sanitation," he added. Jeddah Hilton celebrated Earth Hour through the following activities: From 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. the lights were switched off in the lobby and outside the building, while the entrance and the lobby were attractively illuminated with candles. Team members distributed safe LED candles and Earth shaped cupcakes to children, guests and visitors. Created by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Earth Hour began in 2007 as a way for individuals and businesses to show how simple steps can make a significant impact on addressing climate change. The idea was conceived during a WWF meeting held at the Hilton Sydney, Australia. In its first year, more than two million people turned off their lights for an hour and reduced the city's energy consumption by more than 10 percent. It became a global movement in 2008 with more than 50 million people participating, and today it is the largest grassroots environmental movement in the world with more than 7,000 cities and towns in 172 countries and territories and hundreds of millions of people participating across seven continents. In 2015, over 620,000 actions were taken to combat climate change during Earth Hour.
