Time & Location
Parking
Our parking lot is closed for the Sunshine Awards. Guest parking has been secured at our neighbors' facilities.
Parking is available directly across the street from GRID at the Victory Outreach Church of Riverside, located at 2111 Atlanta Avenue.
Parking is also available next to GRID at Lehigh White Cement, located at 1980 Atlanta Avenue.
Street parking on Atlanta Avenue is also available.
Run of Show
- 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM Social hour, music, food and refreshments.
- 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM CTTC Inaugural Supporter Recognition Plaques
- 5:30 PM to 5:45 PM CTTC Ribbon Cutting
- 5:45 PM to 6:00 PM Social break, music, and refreshments
- 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM Sunshine Awards
- 6:45 PM to 7:00 PM Music and Refreshments
CTTC Inaugural Supporters
At 5:00 PM we will be presenting plaques to the inaugural supporters of the CTTC.
Please join us in recognizing:
Sunshine Award Honorees
At 6:00 PM Sunshine Awards will be presented for the following categories and to the following organizations and individuals:
- Collaboration Award - Susan Gomez, CEO, Inland Empire Community Collaborative (IECC)
- Environment Award - Robert Vance, Housing Director, Death Valley Timbisha Shoshone Band of California
- Equity & Justice Award - Steven Leash, Director of Public Works, Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians
- Workforce Development Award - Casey Heiser, CTE Teacher / Program Coordinator, Desert Hot Springs High School, REAL Academy
- Public Partner Award - Mayor Michael M. Vargas, City of Perris
- Corporate Partner Award - Flor Tolley, VP / Senior Social Impact & Sustainability Specialist, Wells Fargo
- Solar Champion Award - Jim Oana, Owner, Energized Electric
Menu
GRID IE's very own Javier Lara will be catering
- Taco's: your choice of carne asada, pollo, carnitas, vegetable, or soy.
- Sides: Beans, rice, chips, guacamole, salsa, flour, or corn tortilla,
and cilantro, onion, and radish garnishes - Beverages: Horchata
Cold drinks
- Beverages: beer, bottled water, and a selection of soft drinks.
Deserts and hot beverages
- Beverages: tea, coffee, and hot chocolate
- Deserts: cookies, and pastries.
Supporters
Many thanks to our event supporters including Hot Purple Energy for providing live music, Euryale Brewing for providing beers, and to our Silent Auction Donors Mozart’s Fine Gifts of Redlands, Lot22 Olive Oil Co., and Boss Dog and Friends of Palm Springs.
Social Media
We invite you to take photographs and video, and share our event on social media.
Please be sure to tag GRID and our event supporters, and honorees in your posts and to use #SunshineAwards
GRID Alternatives Inland Empire
- Instagram @gridalt_ie
- Facebook @GRIDalternativesIE
- Twitter @gridalt_ie
Presenting Sponsor/CTTC Inaugural Supporter/Sunshine Award Honoree
- Instagram @wellsfargo
- Facebook @wellsfargo
- Twitter @WellsFargo
CTTC Inaugural Supporters
- Facebook @EdisonInternationalOffical
- Twitter @edisonintl
- Twitter @aboutKP
- Instagram @bankofamerica
- Facebook @bankofamerica
- Twitter @bankofamerica
- Instagram @pacificpremierbank
Sunshine Award Honorees
Inland Empire Community Collaborative
- Instagram @ieccnonprofits
- Facebook @ieccnonprofits
- Twitter @ieccnonprofits
Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians
Desert Hot Springs High School, REAL Academy
- Instagram @psusdnews
- Facebook @PalmSpringsUSD
- Twitter @psusd
Energized Electric
- Instagram @energizedelectric
Event Entertainment
- Instagram @hotpurpleenergy
- Facebook @hotpurpleenergy
- Twitter @hotpurpleenergy
- Instagram @euryalebrewing
- Facebook @euryalebrewing
- Twitter @euryalebrewing1
- Instagram @mozartsfinegifts
- Facebook @mozartsfinegifts
- Instagram @lot22oliveoilco
- Facebook @lot22oliveoilco
- Instagram @bossdogandfriends
- Instagram @bosssdog
- Instagram @samborghini__
Support Job Training in the Inland Empire
GRID Alternatives Inland Empire (GRID IE) is answering the call to train the workforce for our growing clean energy economy. We’re building the Clean Tech Training Center (CTTC) at our Riverside facility! The growing clean energy industry needs clean energy workers. Solar installer jobs alone are expected to grow 52% by 2030 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. GRID IE is centering equity, inclusion, and diversity in providing access to the jobs of our clean energy future. Through these efforts, GRID IE envisions that the CTTC and our workforce programs will provide local job seekers the opportunity to equitably participate in our growing green energy economy.
The CTTC will further GRID IE’s success with building EQUITY. We’re providing our job trainees with the experience they need to secure living-wage careers, and at no cost to them! GRID's workforce training programs expose individuals to job opportunities in solar that pay in the range of $40,000 to $150,000 per year based on Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) data. We’re addressing a root cause of poverty by providing opportunities for the IE community, including folks with higher barriers to employment to equitably benefit from our clean energy future. GRID’s CTTC will benefit the local green workforce, their families, and the long-term economic resilience of our region.
GRID IE’s workforce development furthers INCLUSION. The CTTC will create a centralized accessible training space where we can expand to serve people who may encounter limitations to participating in GRID’s traditional on-site solar installations. The CTTC will also benefit individuals who may encounter transportation challenges, and GRID’s Solar Futures transitional youth participants, with hands-on installation training utilizing the CTTC’s mock roof and electrical labs. This new training facility will offer GRID’s program participants an added opportunity to practice in a controlled space, and even engage new participants who may have been restricted to join a GRID rooftop installation due to age limitations.
GRID IE advances DIVERSITY. We work to support people that may experience higher barriers for employment in clean energy careers, including women, justice-involved individuals, those who are transitionally-housed, opportunity youth, black, indigenous, communities of color (BIPOC), and people who are unemployed or underemployed. GRID is working to uplift and connect clean energy career training for individuals that represent our diverse communities.
GRID IE’s Clean Tech Training Center will increase our capacity to train and include more people. This facility will allow our team to provide hands-on training beyond our current installation projects in the field. GRID training can now happen on its own efficient schedule and with greater flexibility. Through the buildout of the CTTC, GRID is positioned to increase collaboration with more programs and workforce partners. We’re looking to the future to incorporate new programs in electric vehicle service equipment and battery energy storage—building career pathways for our job trainees in emerging green energy careers.