HOUSTON, TX– The Astros Play Green^® program continues this month with three events geared towards improving the environment and raising conservation awareness with children. On Thursday the team will build a Habitat for Humanity home, Friday the Astros will take the Play Green^® message to Rusk Elementary School and on Saturday, Minute Maid Park will be the site of an e-cycle drive.

Thursday, May 20 – Habitat for Humanity

The Houston Astros and FOX Sports Houston (FSH) will help build a Habitat for Humanity home with numerous green features on Thursday, May 20 from 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Astros and FSH employees will work on the home and be joined by Astros infielder and Play Green^® Ambassador Geoff Blum and FSH broadcasters Bill Brown and Patti Smith from 10:30 a.m. –11:30 a.m. The home is located at 4839 Brisbane, Houston, TX 77048 in Umland Park, a 126-home Houston Habitat for Humanity subdivision just south of the Texas Medical Center.

Green features of the Houston Habitat for Humanity home

· Exterior walls have a bottom seal layered between the wall unit and the foundation to prevent water and air leakage.

· The entire home is wrapped in 7/16” OSB sheathing then covered with a 3/4” sheet of Dow High

Performance Energy Star Rated Underlayment. The exterior is then covered with a durable vinyl siding requiring little maintenance.

· Roof consists of 30-year architectural shingles (versus 20-year used by most builders) in a light color to reflect sun and reduce the amount of heat entering the attic.

· Roofing structure has a two inch roof overhang to reduce the amount of sunlight entering the windows and the underside of the overhang consists of 12” vented soffit for additional ventilation to the attic reducing heat entry to the home.

· The windows are Low E, double bane with a sunglass tint.

· Air conditioning unit is a high rating Tempstar 14.5+ seer, 2.5 ton cooling system with 80% annual fuel utilization efficiency for gas heating.

· The home is painted with Valspar low volatile organic compounds and is non-toxic as certified with the Green Seal Certification (Standard GS-11).

Friday, May 21 –School Visit to Rusk Elementary School

Play Green^® ambassador Hunter Pence will visit second and third grade students at Rusk Elementary School on Friday, May 21 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. A magnet school located just blocks from Minute Maid Park, the Rusk Elementary “Green Team” launched numerous green activities this year including a school-wide recycling program and a new vegetable garden. Pence’s visit rewards the kids for their Earth-friendly efforts and while there he will read Miss Fox’s Class Goes Green, present the kids with their own autographed copy of the book along with Play Green^® baseball caps and tickets to that evening’s game where they will be recognized in a pre-game ceremony. Rusk Elementary is located at 2805 Garrow St., Houston, TX 77003. Miss Fox’s Class Goes Green is authored by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Anne Kennedy and published by Albert Whitman & Company.

The visit to Rusk Elementary is part of the Astros Play Green^® school initiative. The program was started to teach students at an early ageabout the environment and conservation to assist them in building a lifetime of responsible actions that make a positive difference. Rusk Elementary was the Grand Prize winner in the Astros Greenest Classroom online contest. Teachers and students were invited to submit an essay that demonstrated what their classroom was doing to be green. The winning class received a special player visit, 100 tickets to the May 21 game and recognition on the field prior to the game. Angleton High School Student Council was the First Prize winner and received 50 tickets to the May 21 game.

Saturday, May 22 – E-Cycle Drive

The Astros and Waste Management are hosting an e-cycle drive at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, May 22 from 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Recycling receptacles will be set up on Avenidas de las Americas for fans to exchange old electronics for tickets to that evening’s game. A pair of tickets to that night’s game will be given to the driver of each vehicle that drops off electronics for recycling.

Items that can be accepted are computers (CPUs and laptops), computer monitors, computer peripherals/keyboards, printers, fax machines, photocopiers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, cell phones and home and office phones. Items that will not be accepted include microwave ovens, smoke detectors, fire alarms, fire detectors, thermometers, large appliances, medical equipment, and any product with sludge or liquid.

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