Durango Herald Online

Wavy Gravy to appear at FLC's Earth Week
FLC EARTH WEEK SCHEDULE

March 22, 2002

By Jennifer Reeder
Special to the Herald

Local environmentalists will dish up extra gravy at their celebration this week as 1960s icon Wavy Gravy comes to town for the Fort Lewis College Environmental Center Earth Week.

"I do whatever I can for any good cause that grabs me," Gravy said in a telephone interview from Northern California.

In this case, Gravy’s cause is the environment. He will speak at the college today, and act as master of ceremonies Saturday night at the environmental center fund-raiser, a concert at Storyville.

Many people think of Gravy as a ‘60s clown, the man who proclaimed at the original Woodstock, "What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000!" or as a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor. But he’s also a passionate activist for environmental and social causes.

Gravy uses royalties from the ice cream that bears his name to provide scholarships for homeless Bay Area children and South Dakota American Indians to attend Camp Winnarainbow. Gravy and his wife, Jahanara, started the summer camp 30 years ago.

"(American Indians) just named a stud buffalo after me, so I’m not just an ice cream and a pretty face anymore," Gravy said jokingly.

Jenn Proffitt, assistant coordinator at the environmental center, said the center is excited that Gravy will participate in the week’s events.

"It’s great that somebody that well-known would want to come here and help us out," Proffitt said.

She said the center teaches students and community members about environmental issues, and also provides tools "to do something with what they’ve learned."

"Awareness without action means very little," Proffitt said.

FLC EARTH WEEK SCHEDULE

Today

7 p.m.: Wavy Gravy presentation in Noble Hall 130, FLC; $2.

Saturday

Noon: "Happening" featuring Byron Frost, Southern Ute Sun Dance Chief, FLC grounds; free.

5 p.m.: Wavy Gravy emcees "Cheers for the Environment" fund-raiser, silent auction and concert at Storyville, 1150 Main Ave.; $8 students, $12 non-students, $10 advanced.

Sunday

Noon: Nick Chambers, Primitive Technologist, "Stone Age Technology & Human History," Noble Hall 130, FLC; free.

7 p.m.: "Bio-diesel: Running your diesel on vegetable oil," and Mark Radosevich with Standard Oil Co., "Carbon Bridging Fossil Fuels with Envirolene (World’s Strongest Fuel Alcohol)", Noble Hall 130, FLC; free.

Monday

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.: Alternative Building Symposium co-sponsored by the Natural Builders’ Guild in the Student Memorial Lounge, FLC; free.

Noon: Tim White, "Healthy Living Spaces," and John Fitzgerald presenting at the Symposium.

7 p.m.: Alis "Sunny" Mynrd, Green Party Attorney General Candidate, "Colorado: The Big Easy/Explanations for the Runaway Development," Noble Hall 130, FLC; free.

Tuesday

7 p.m.: FLC Biology Professor John Byrd, "In Fairness to the Future: Thoughts on generational equity" in Noble Hall 130, FLC; free.

Wednesday

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.: Campus Clean-up gifts and awards, Reed Library, FLC; free.

2 p.m.: Trash sculpture contest in Reed Library, FLC; free.

7 p.m.: Randy Udall from the Community Office for Resource Efficiency, "Today’s Energy Policy: When will the joyride end?" Noble Hall 130, FLC; free.

Thursday

Noon: Neil Logan holds mushroom-cultivation workshop in FLC’s E.C.O. Garden; free.

7 p.m.: Proposed gas development in the HD Mountains: presentations and panel discussion in Noble Hall 130, FLC; free.

Saturday, March 30

7a.m.: Third Annual Hozhoni/Earth Week 5K Run/Walk at the FLC football field; free.

For more information, contact the Environmental Center at 247-7676.

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