By Lookout Staff

March 27, 2015 -- The lights on the Santa Monica Pier’s world-famous Ferris wheel will go mostly dark for an hour on Saturday night as it joins in the international Earth Hour celebration, Pacific Park officials said.

Lights will go off for an hour on the Pacific Wheel Ferris wheel at 8:30 p.m., except for the wheel rim safety lighting.

This weekend marks the World Wildlife Fund’s ninth annual Earth Hour. Every year on the last Saturday of March, people and businesses are encouraged to turn off their lights for an hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. to raise awareness about climate change.

Since its inception in Sydney in 2007, the lights-off event has grown into a worldwide movement, with over 120 countries participating, including more than 7,000 cities and towns worldwide, organizers say.

Organizers say Earth Hour aims to harness the power of its millions of supporters worldwide to alter climate change. Its mission is “uniting people to protect the planet. We are an open source movement organized by WWF and volunteer organizations worldwide.”

“Pacific Park looks forward to participating each year in Earth Hour to help underscore our commitment to the environment,” said Jeff Klocke, Vice President of Marketing and Administration at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier.

“In addition to being home to the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel, we work hard to be a leader in our industry and community for green initiatives and sustainability.”

Marketing Manager Andrew Mason said this is the sixth year of participation in Earth Hour, and that his organization has shown its eco-friendly attitude in many other ways.

Aside from the Ferris wheel’s LED lights, the pier has swapped its other lights with those that are more energy efficient and even provides its estimated 500 employees with reusable water bottles and mugs.

“Santa Monica is the most progressive community in sustainability in the United States, and we’re center stage,” he said.

In turning off its lights, the pier’s Ferris wheel will be in illustrious company. Also joining in the celebration, officials said, will be the Great Wall of China, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Parthenon at the Acropolis in Greece.