NFL Draft week is now officially underway.
Oneida Nation welcomed guests to Amelia Cornelius Culture Park for one of the NFL’s lesser known draft week traditions, the ceremonial planting of a tree as a part of the NFL Green Initiative.
Governor Tony Evers was on hand, along with representatives from NFL Green and Verizon, to plant the maple tree.
Tehassi Hill, Chair of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, explained that the tree was very symbolic for them.
“In Oneida culture, the maple tree is ‘Johondu’, the head one or the leader of all the trees,” he explained. “We just completed our maple sirup season recently where families venture into the forests and collect maple sap and boil it down into maple syrup or further into candy or sugar.”
Jack and Susan Groh of NFL Green revealed that since the program was found ed in 1993, hundreds of thousands of trees have been planted in communities around the country, including 15 trees that were planted on the cold, windy Monday.
But that, as Susan noted, is just the beginning.
“Over the coming weeks, another 40 trees will be planted on Oneida land and then also another 35 trees at Brown County Parks…So nearly 100 trees for the draft,” she revealed.
Governor Evers shared his appreciation for the NFL highlighting the need for trees to be planted, especially since he is a part of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, which recently launched the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Trees Initiative.
Evers said the program has “the ambitious goal to plant 250 million trees by 2033. This is a regional effort not just here in Wisconsin, but it builds upon our Wisconsin goal to plant 100 million trees by 2031 as part of the Trillion Trees Initiative.”
This event was the kick off to a full week of events being held around the Green Bay area, highlighted by the Draft itself which runs Thursday through Saturday.
Draft night coverage will be aired on 1240 WOMT and at WOMTRadio.com with the voice of the Green Bay Packers, Wayne Larrivee, Bill Schmid from Parkers OT, and Doug Russel.
Coverage will air from 6:00 to 11:00 Thursday and Friday night, and 10:00 to 4:00 a.m. Saturday.
SeehaferNews.com will also be on hand all three days.
