SANTA
MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
PRESS
RELEASE
CONTACT: Phil Cott,
Principal FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
310.456.6494, ext. 301 06 MARCH
2009
Solar car makes pit stop at
webster
On Thursday
afternoon, 400 Webster
Elementary School students
sat on the playground, waiting anxiously for the arrival of a solar car.
They knew only that the car and its driver were trying to set some kind of
world record. The car was passing through Malibu and the team had offered to stop at
Webster. When the car drove through the gate and onto the playground,
there was a collective gasp of amazement. The driver and builder of the
car, Marcelo da Luz, stepped out and talked to the
students. He explained that building a solar powered car was his dream
and that he was an example that proved that every person can achieve his/her
dreams.
After
answering some questions, Marcelo drove around the playground before leaving to
continue his world record journey. There are instructions on his website
for building a miniature model solar car and the school expects that many
Webster students will be working on this project in the days to come.
The
following is information from Marcelo’s website - www.xof1.com
About
Us
History
Xof1 is a project
to develop and build a solar car and set a new world record for distance. The
catalyst for the project, Marcelo da Luz, was
inspired to create xof1 after learning about the World Solar Challenge.
Why
The project
provides an opportunity to make a positive contribution towards a cleaner
future and promote new ideas. We hope that our initiative will inspire and
motivate people from all over the world to find a balanced co-existence with
nature.
The dream
was to take on the greatest challenge on the planet that the solar car had ever
faced; to not only reach the Arctic Circle,
but also to deliver on a promise to set the world distance record for a solar
car.
On June
12th 2008 the epic journey began with a symbolic start in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada
at Seneca College (one of the projects greatest
supporters). The actual drive began in Buffalo,
NY. The original plan was to
drive the solar car from Buffalo, NY to Inuvik, NT and back to Buffalo,
NY. However, communities in Alaska and Washington
invited the solar car to visit them and so it did.
On July 27,
46 days later, XOF1 reached the Arctic Circle.
Later it also broke the world distance record, achieved it’s
goal, and fulfilled it’s promise.
Upon its
arrival in Los Angeles
on March 6th 2009, XOF1 will have driven over 12,500 miles using only sunshine
as fuel. Never being plugged into the grid, crossing the continental divide 8
times, traveling over 1200 miles on gravel roads, taken on snow, ice, the low
angle of the Northern hemisphere during the wettest summer of the past 30
years, and conquering the infamous Dempster Highway
at its worst since it was built 40 years ago. Making history!
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SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
1651 16TH
Street, Santa Monica, CA
90404
ph: 310.450.8338; fax: 310.581.1138
www.smmusd.org