SALT LAKE CITY — A small group of Brigham Young University students gathered at a University of Utah parking lot on Wednesday. No, they didn't come to the rival campus to prank anyone or vandalize anything during the first week of classes.

The students were part of The Climate Campaign, a nonprofit group advocating for climate change awareness.

Dressed in purple shirts and armed with purple daisies, the 10 students ran through the parking lot, placing nearly 3,000 flowers and cards on car windshields outside Rice-Eccles Stadium and at other nearby parking lots.

The cards invited U. students to join BYU students in raising awareness about climate change.

"Climate change is something we should all care about, but it’s become politicized," said Nicholas Huey, campaign director.

In a country divided on the environmental issue, Huey said he wants the campaign to show Democrats and Republicans a "good example of two institutions that hate each other but still can agree on this one thing."

"We want people to say that climate change is important so that politicians feel safe coming out and doing something about climate change," he said.

Huey said he chose purple as the campaign's official color because it combined the colors of the two rival schools: red from the University of Utah and blue from BYU.

"I don’t think it should be a political issue. I think it should be everyone in the world working together. We’re all citizens of this planet," said BYU graduate Camilla Stark. "The Earth is very important. It’s where we live, it’s where our future generations will live, it’s part of God’s creation. I think it’s important to be responsible and do what we can to make a difference, even if it’s small."

Students interested in joining the campaign can visit the nonprofit's website, where people can sign their support, donate to the cause and watch a video challenging U. students to join the statewide campaign.

"Here's the deal: We'll save the world if you will, too," the video states. "We'd so hate to be better at saving the world than you. That would be awkward."

Campaign goals include raising awareness, uniting political parties over a mutual concern for the environment and supporting state leaders who pass climate-friendly legislation, according to the website.

Nearly 100 students have already signed up, Huey said, and he has plans for more awareness activities soon.

"The rivalry is kind of fun," said BYU junior McKenzi Prawitt. "But getting together on something that we can both agree on, just making the world a better place to live in and protecting the environment, is something that I think is important to all of us."

Students from other universities were also at the event, passing out flowers and cards to passersby. University of Utah senior Jared Stewart learned about the campaign through one of his friends.

"I think it’s a great way to show some recognition that climate change is affecting us both here at the U. and at BYU. People care about it all over the place, not just one school or the other," he said.

Utah State University graduate Spencer Steadman hopes the campaign will encourage change rather than just becoming a political statement.

"We don’t have to be unified in everything — not football — but maybe on the climate, that’s a better thing to be united on," he said.

Though the campaign is not university sanctioned, The Climate Campaign partnered with the university club BYU Earth Stewardship to introduce more students to the campaign.

"(Climate change) is something that probably shouldn’t be a rivalry," Stewart said.