Last week, Reality Check leaders from high schools in Batavia, Falconer, Fillmore, Olean and Warsaw joined more than 125 youth and advocates from 15 different states to protest Altria Group, Inc.’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. These advocates held a demonstration outside Altria’s Washington, D.C. office, while several youth activists had proxy tickets to directly … Continued 
As people all around the world come together to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, Western New Yorkers can honor our little piece of Planet Earth by participating in one of many events sponsored by members of the Kick Butts Collaborative, a group of local organizations focused on keeping our earth clean, particularly from the … Continued 
Say hello to the Kick Butts Collaborative. We are a collective in Western New and the Great Lakes basin including Buffalo-Niagara Waterkeeper, Buffalo Niagara Greenway, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Buffalo Sewer Authority, Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, Community Canvases, Hamburg Butt Kickers, WNY Trash Mob, City of Buffalo Reuse and Recycling, Buffalo-Niagara … Continued 
On May 19, teen leaders from Tobacco Free Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties (TF-GOW) and Tobacco-Free Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany (TF-CCA) Reality Check programs joined other youth from around New York State, as well as New Hampshire and Delaware, to call on Big Tobacco to voluntarily remove all flavors, in all their products, for all … Continued 
The 94th Academy Awards had many big moments. And the winner is (are in this scene): Reality Check youth champions from across Western New York. 25 students previewed this year’s ceremony with a show-stopping performance of their own—the Smoke-free Movies International Week of Action (IWOA). Lights, camera, action. Beginning March 21, 25 students from Olean … Continued 
While youth vaping may be the topic on everyone’s lips, many high school students and adults use chew and other forms of smokeless tobacco. During Through With Chew Week, February 20-26, members of Reality Check groups in Falconer, Olean and Fillmore, New York, will raise awareness in their schools, as well as throughout their communities, … Continued 
These 10 photos tell a story of 12 months of challenges, successes and perseverance in a year where photographs gave us glimpses of the community engagement work that often felt out of reach. The images, and the team who are a part of them, show us the power of our work toward healthier communities. 
How much pollution do littered cigarette butts cause? Leaders from Tobacco-Free Roswell Park, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper and The Buffalo Sewer Authority joined community advocates and environmentalists at Broderick Park on August 18 to discuss the problem, as well how individuals and communities across Western New York can come together to be part of the … Continued 
Tina Wolcott doesn’t want her horses inhaling secondhand smoke. She also wants safety for her family, employees, volunteers, visitors and other trusted furbabies who roam both her Wyoming County farm and barn. That’s why she contacted Tobacco-Free Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties (TF-GOW) recently and declared her stable and surrounding properties a tobacco free zone. … Continued 
339,716. That’s how many cigarette butts were collected in the Great Lakes Basin (including our very own Lake Erie) in volunteer cleanups in 2019. Add 44,822 cigar tips plus 1,868 other tobacco product related waste (think discarded vape pens) and you get the number one form of litter found in the Great Lakes. You also … Continued 
