For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

GLTS Receives Donation from Enel Green Power for Kinetic Sculpture Competition

ANDOVER — Superintendent John Lavoie is pleased to announce that GLTS received a generous donation from Enel Green Power North America this week that will be used to support students in the second annual Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race.

The annual race, which will occur on Sept. 22, challenges participants to create repurposed art structures that are human-powered and can travel over road, water, mud and sand. It is the only event of its kind in New England and accepts work from students in high schools, vocational schools and local universities.

With a $3,000 donation from Enel Green Power, GLTS engineering and electronics students can begin buying supplies for their entry, which they will work on over the summer and into the new school year. As part of the partnership with GLTS, Enel Green Power will also provide technical support to students as they build their sculpture.

“Enel’s donation will allow our students the enriching opportunity to participate in the Kinetic Sculpture Race for the first time,” Superintendent Lavoie said. “We are thankful for this generous gift, and I know the students are eager to try their hand at constructing a fun, dynamic vehicle.”

Each kinetic team in the competition is comprised of pilots (who pedal and steer the vehicle), pit crew (assist the pilot and fix mechanical issues) and support crew (help in whatever ways are needed). The race begins Le Mans-style on Market Street and continues through the city to a mud pit, onto the Lowell Heritage State Park and beach, where students will travel across the Merrimack River and then race back to Market Street once out of the water. The event will test students’ ability to create a vehicle that can operate on all terrains and move through the course the quickest.

“We are thrilled to support this innovative program and continue our partnership with GLTS,” said Chris Hardy, Community Relations Manager of Enel Green Power North America, headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts. “As a renewable energy company that also serves on the GLTS STEAM Advisory Committee, we are always exploring ways to promote STEAM activities in local schools and cultivate the next generation of renewable energy leaders. We look forward to working with the students over the next few months as they create their sculptures and compete to win!”

About Enel Green Power North America:

Enel Green Power North America, part of the Renewable Energies division of the Enel Group, is a leading owner and operator of renewable energy plants in North America with projects operating and under development in 24 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. Enel Green Power, the second largest renewable energy company in Massachusetts, operates around 100 plants with a managed capacity exceeding 4.2 GW powered by renewable hydropower, wind, geothermal and solar energy.

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