Ozone Action Heroes is a community awareness campaign developed by PGC Creative for the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) to empower, educate and encourage people and organizations to improve air quality through simple, yet heroic actions such as turning off lights, refueling vehicles after 6:00 p.m. and sharing rides or using public transportation whenever possible.

One aspect of the campaign included a contest to see which Central Texas school could recruit the most Ozone Actions Heroes this fall. The school contest encouraged students, families and organizations in the 5 county Austin Metro region to take the ozone heroes’ pledge by registering at www.ozoneheroes.com

And the Winner is….Pflugerville Middle School! Congratulations! Go Panthers! Students at the school will receive a special recognition award from CAMPO and an Amy’s Ice Cream party in March for their efforts to help spread the word about reducing the effects of ground level ozone.

On November 21, PGC Creative will team with Z’Tejas, the U.S. Army, Atmos Energy, Union State Bank and several other companies to feed approximately 2,000 soldiers and their families at Fort Hood.

Two years ago, PGC approached Z’Tejas with the idea of feeding soldiers from Fort Hood Army Base at the Z’Tejas Avery Ranch location.

Over the years, the event has grown and this year, the invitation was sent to feed the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) on Fort Hood. At the request of the Army, soldiers and their families will receive a signature Z’Tejas meal. The 4th CAB returned home from Iraq in May and will be redeployed in the near future.

Planning for the event began in July, with more than 100 people involved in the processes, donating thousands of man-hours to this worthy cause. PGC has led the coordination, marketing and public relations for this event.

PGC is also setting up a “Hello Mom” webcasting center, sponsored by Atmos Energy. Soldiers and their families will be able to send holiday greetings to their loved ones via a webcast.

In light of recent events at Fort Hood the Z’Tejas’ takes on additional meaning—helping soldiers and their families return to “normal” Army lives. This will be the first significant public event since that tragic Thursday afternoon.

It also gives them a chance to give thanks for their loved ones, and remember those lost during the year. Every event, every gathering, every outreach—helps with the healing process.

PGC extends a heartfelt thanks to all the U.S. Service members protecting and defending us, and to their families and loved ones serving along side them.