She Shoots! She Scores!: GreenLight Solutions, the Driving Force Behind the 1 Ton of Greenhouse Gases Avoided at the NCAA Women’s Final Four

In the heart of downtown Phoenix, thousands of people buzzed with excitement while attending the NCAA Women’s Final Four. The Green Team is ready at work ensuring that all the waste produced from the event and surrounding areas makes it to the rightful place.

What we Accomplished:
Over the 4 day long event, the Green Team worked hard to avoid 1 ton of greenhouse gases, the equivalent of 2,000 miles or 6 hour long road trip. This was done through our signature initiatives: bin guarding, recycling, and waste sorting. 

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Our Goal:
​As we reiterate in every blog, the goal of GreenLight Solutions is to always follow the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals #12, which focuses on Responsible Consumption and Production. With community and commitment, we can achieve this goal, as seen in the intense amount of progress we made with this event.

The Importance of GreenLight Solutions at Sporting Events:
​This particular event was held just off of Jefferson Street in the heart of Phoenix, that being said, the event was attended by over 15,000 people. The average person produces 1.6 pounds of trash in a day, someone needed to stand in the way of all of that making it to the landfill. The Green Team had boots on the ground making sure that we mitigated this event’s effect on the city and surrounding areas.

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Our Partners:
We are so thankful and humbled to the City of Phoenix and Downtown Phoenix Inc. for trusting us with this opportunity. Your commitment to sustainability and the beauty of the community does not go unnoticed.

We are also so proud and grateful to be a partner of the NCAA Women’s Final Four 2026 and their commitment to student athletes.

​Thank you to our Green Team at GreenLight Solutions Leads: Felicia Shupp, Oliver Renteria, Ashley Weisman 

Volunteers: Amia, Linda, Marco, Matthew, Xavier, Andi, Evoni, Leohuns, Marcus, Nathanial, Yoselin, Damien, Evan, Kirsten, Vanessa, William, Muhammed, Nikolas, Adele

The GreenLight Solutions Mission:
​GreenLight Solutions is an Arizona-based sustainability organization committed to launching sustainability careers for students and being a pioneer in business and event sustainability. 

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​Written By: Adele Johns
Adele Johns is a student at W.P. Carey, majoring in Business Management with an interest in marketing and performing arts. Her experience in digital and administrative operations has allowed her to support Greenlight Solutions as a volunteer event worker and administrative support. Aside from school and work she is passionate about the nonprofit sector and access to the arts.

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