Part of Pittsburgh's city skyline, Highmark's Fifth Avenue Place and Penn Avenue Place facilities, will go dark from 8 to 9 p.m. on March 29 joining hundreds of other companies around the world in the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour Initiative by turning out the lights in its facilities to support environmental initiatives.

"At Highmark, we're committed to being an environmental leader because we know that creating a healthier environment also helps to create healthier communities and healthier people," said Byron Falchetti, president of Standard Property Corporation, the real estate subsidiary of Highmark. "Turning out our building lights for Earth Hour gives us the opportunity to show this commitment to the environment."

The facilities operate some 12,000 lights, which will be turned off for the hour. The prominent Highmark sign on the top of Fifth Avenue Place and the blue spire will also be turned off. Emergency lighting and lighting in occupied areas will be left on for the safety of employees, as well as retail patrons of Fifth Avenue Place. The facilities are home to approximately 5,000 Highmark employees as well as other office and retail tenants.

The Highmark facilities will join the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, the Andy Warhol Museum and others locally to observe Earth Hour.

More than 20 major cities have committed to join Earth Hour. Building and landmarks from around the globe, including Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta, Sears Tower in Chicago Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and more, will be dark for the one hour on Saturday.

Highmark's commitment to environmental leadership includes a variety of sustainable, eco-friendly, green business projects that are aimed at creating a healthier environment and healthier people. These include the operation of a Silver LEED certified Data Center near Hershey, Pa., paper and utilities conservation initiatives and the use of certified green seal cleaning supplies in Highmark's facilities.

3/28/2008