by Michele Prestowitz, Development Manager
This past fall, Vail Resorts Echo granted $10,000 to the Truckee River Watershed Council (TRWC) to help produce TRWC’s 18th annual Truckee River Day event on October 20, 2013. Since 2010, Northstar, through Vail Resorts Echo, has contributed $28,000 to help TRWC preserve and protect the Truckee River Watershed.
“As a vital part of our community, the Truckee River Watershed Council represents many of the same values and goals of Vail Resorts Echo,” said Bill Rock, Chief Operating Officer for Northstar California Resort, and the Northstar Giving Council. “Our partnership, supporting this incredible community wide day helps the TRWC complete restoration projects that are critical to health of the Truckee River.”
The $10,000 cash donation will be used to help the TRWC plan, prepare for and manage a full day of restoration projects October 20, 2013. Truckee River Day is a popular community event, drawing over 500 volunteers, and another 50 volunteer group leaders who manage 12-15 projects each year.
Last year, TRWC donors and community volunteers were able to complete work on 15 restoration projects located throughout the entire Truckee River watershed. Projects included re-vegetation at Perazzo Meadows, plantings to help restore areas near the Truckee Legacy Trail, and removing aquatic weeds from the Truckee River in Tahoe City. A morning of project work benefiting the watershed was followed by the River Fair, featuring fun environmental activities for kids and adults.
In addition to the continued financial support for Truckee River Day, Northstar supported the TRWC with volunteer time including Vail Resorts Echo Day in September 2012. On Echo Day, over 100 Northstar employees and their families for a volunteer project to revegetate a weed-infested site along the Truckee River Legacy Trail.
“We’ve enjoyed financial, in-kind and volunteer support in the past from Vail Resorts Echo,” says Lisa Wallace, Executive Director of TRWC. “We are grateful for this most recent donation and look forward to continuing working with them.”
Vail Resorts Echo is the Company’s corporate stewardship program. Encompassing charitable giving, environmental stewardship and community engagement, Vail Resorts Echo connects the Company with their communities and the iconic settings that surround their resorts. Through this program, Vail Resorts contributes more than $6 million each year in cash and in-kind support to critical non-profits that support youth and environmental programs in their resort communities. For more information about Northstar or Vail Resorts Echo, visit NorthstaratTahoe.com or VailResortsEcho.com.