Hastings, Nebraska, has long had bragging rights for being the birthplace of Kool-Aid. Now they have something new to be pleased as punch about.

As Sam Champion announced on Good Morning America this morning, Hastings is the winner of Yahoo!'s Be a Better Planet "Greenest City in America" challenge. A goodly sum of its 25,000 residents participated in the campaign by taking pledges to reduce their carbon diets on Yahoo! Green, answering green questions on Yahoo! Answers, and conducting eco-friendly mobile searches on Yahoo! oneSearch.

We'll present Mayor Matt Rossen with a $250,000 check tonight at a "good ole Nebraska BBQ" for 750 celebrating Hastingsians. The city opted for a cash donation over the original prize of a fleet of hybrid taxis (I guess they're not so practical in the Heartland) and plans to apply the funds toward city greening projects, with support from Global Green USA.

We've asked our very own Heidi Burgett, head of employee communications, to represent Yahoo! at the festivities because, quite coincidentally, five generations of her family hail from Hastings. She'll drop by tomorrow with some highlights from the shindig.

In thanks for their rallying efforts, we'll present the four runner up cities with thousands of compact fluorescent light bulbs at ceremonies today. For a list of the top ten cities, head here. Congrats to Hastings, Nebraska!

Nicki Dugan
Blog Editor