aberry, Author at Tahoe Fund

TAHOE FUND RECEIVES NEARLY $300,000 FROM VAIL RESORTS OVER TWO YEARS

June 28, 2021 by aberry

Guests’ $1 donations have helped fund projects including the Lily Lake Trail and Clean Up The Lake

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (June 28, 2021) – In just 24 months, Vail Resorts has raised nearly $300,000 for the Tahoe Fund in support of new trails and environmental stewardship projects in the Tahoe Basin. A partner of the nonprofit since its inception, Vail Resorts has raised funds to support projects spearheaded by the Tahoe Fund through its $1 for Tahoe guest donation program—part of the company’s EpicPromise community impact program. Most recently, donations from Vail Resorts have been leveraged as a triple match to fund the Lily Lake Trail construction ($75,000), and as a match in support of the Clean Up The Lake efforts to remove trash from all 72-miles of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline ($25,000).

“We are always looking for ways to give back to the communities we operate in, and to support projects that preserve and enhance the incredible local landscape for everyone to enjoy,” said Tom Fortune, vice president and general manager of Heavenly Mountain Resort. “Guests who visit Heavenly, Northstar, and Kirkwood have demonstrated that their values align with ours, and we’re proud to partner with the Tahoe Fund to turn these generous donations into action.”

The $1 for Tahoe program was started to harness the passion of visitors and residents to help care for Tahoe’s extraordinary environment. Participating local businesses collect dollars from their guests through their purchases of lift tickets, hotel accommodations, food and drink, and other items. Donations are then contributed to the Tahoe Fund’s efforts to support hiking and biking trails, watershed restoration projects, environmental stewardship programs and so much more.

“The decade-long partnership we’ve had with Vail Resorts has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from the company’s guests that have helped us build a portfolio of more than 50 projects,” said Cory Ritchie, Tahoe Fund board member. “We are grateful to Vail Resorts and all of our $1 for Tahoe partners who continue to give those who love Tahoe a way to give back, and simultaneously help us with trail, watershed and other stewardship projects.”

Watch here to see how far $1 for Tahoe can go.

Learn more about the $1 for Tahoe program and the Tahoe Fund at www.tahoefund.org. Businesses interested in joining the $1 for Tahoe program are invited to contact Amy Berry at aberry@tahoefund.org.

Tahoe Fund Announces Partnership With Camp Wamp to Provide Unique Experience For Kids With Physical Disabilities

June 22, 2021 by aberry

New campaign hopes to raise $25,000 to fund field trips for campers to the Tahoe East Shore Trail and Sand Harbor State Park

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (June 22, 2021) – The Tahoe Fund is partnering with Camp Wamp, a sleepaway camp for children with physical disabilities, to give campers a unique experience on the shores of Lake Tahoe in 2022. The Tahoe Fund is currently raising $25,000 to fund field trips for the campers to visit the Tahoe East Shore Trail and Sand Harbor State Park. The funds will cover the costs to transport the 20-25 campers and their camp counselors in each weekly session.

At Camp Wamp, outdoor summer camp experiences are provided to kids ages 10 to 18 that have physical disabilities. The kids learn about self-reliance and their own ambition. They push their limits. They sleep outdoors on the 129-acre property on cots under the stars. They hike. They fish on 9-acre Deer Lake. They climb a rock wall. They do arts, crafts and have competitions. Most importantly, they have fun.

“One of the best parts about the Tahoe East Shore Trail is that it was designed specifically to offer greater accessibility for people of all ages and abilities to some of the most stunning vista points of Lake Tahoe,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “Being on Donner Summit at the campsite is an amazing experience for these kids, but you can’t see Tahoe from there. Through these field trips we can give them the opportunity to experience the extraordinary beauty of the Lake from the new trail, and the iconic beaches of Sand Harbor.”

Started in 2002 by Stephen Wampler, Camp Wamp offers six one-week sessions every summer in July and August and has hosted over 1,250 kids over the years. Wampler, who grew up in Northern California and has used a wheelchair for mobility for his entire life due to cerebral palsy, knows first-hand the significance that camp experiences like this can have on kids with disabilities.

“We want the Tahoe community to know we’re here, and we’d like to welcome them to get involved with camp and what we’re doing at Donner Summit if they have interest. The kids who come to Camp Wamp have a variety of physical disabilities that range from mild all the way to using a wheelchair, and the experience truly is life-changing for them,” said Camp Wamp Founder Stephen Wampler.

Camp Wamp has a one-to-one camper to counselor ratio, with counselors typically consisting of college students who are working to earn their degrees in a variety of capacities — from recreation to therapy and nursing.

This summer, high school students who are part of the Tahoe Fund’s new Teens 4 Tahoe program will join with the Camp Wamp team to help make repairs and accessibility improvements to the property.

To support this wonderful project, click here.

Take Care Tahoe & Kind Traveler Empower Explorers to Travel Responsibly to Lake Tahoe

October 23, 2019 by aberry

Travelers are rewarded for their act of kindness in giving back to Take Care Tahoe with exclusive rates and perks from Kind Hotels on Kind Traveler

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (Oct. 23, 2019) — Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority (LTVA) launched a sustainable travel initiative with Kind Traveler, the first socially conscious Give + Get hotel booking and sustainable travel education platform that empowers travelers to make a positive community and environmental impact to the destinations they visit.

How It Works: A Triple Win
Travelers can now access exclusive rates (that result in a significant savings) with curated South Lake Tahoe hotels upon a $10 nightly donation to Take Care Tahoe, an initiative that’s a collective group of more than 30 organizations that love Lake Tahoe and want to see more people connect with its beautiful natural environment. One hundred percent of the donation goes to charity, creating a triple win amongst the hotel, charity, and traveler.

Why Now?
In a recent 2019 sustainable travel report by Booking, it was revealed that 71% of travelers think that travel companies should offer consumers more sustainable travel choices. On the other hand, almost half (46%) of global travelers acknowledge that they find it harder to make sustainable choices on while on vacation than in everyday life.

Responsible Travel: Take Care Tahoe
Take Care Tahoe is a tool for ecotourism seekers developed by a collective group of 30+ organizations that love Lake Tahoe and want to make it easier for people to find fun and interesting ways to learn more about Tahoe.

Working together, the group has launched the newly redesigned and easy-to-use www.takecaretahoe.org to provide a single information source for all environmental education activities. Beach cleanups, wildflower hikes, insightful discussions, and environmentally friendly festivals are just a few of the opportunities people can find on the new site.

“The Take Care Tahoe program is a great way to let our visitors know all the options to help take care of Tahoe,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO and Take Care Tahoe partner. “We are thrilled to partner with Kind Traveler and our local hotels to help spread awareness of Take Care.”

Sustainable South Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the U.S. and one of the clearest large Alpine lakes in the world. Although many of its watersheds and aquatic habitats were degraded as a result of past human activities, a partnership of federal, state, local agencies, private interests, scientists and the Washoe Tribe are collaborating to protect and improve the extraordinary natural and recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Over the past 20 years, partners have worked to treat 74,000 acres of land to reduce fire threats, restore lake clarity and 1,700 acres of wetlands, enhanced fish and wildlife habitat, and added 3,195 feet of public shoreline for recreation of Lake Tahoe.

What Does a $10 Donation Do?
Not only will a $10 nightly donation allow travelers to access exclusive rates and perks from Kind Hotels in South Lake Tahoe as a reward for their act of kindness, it will also help create a significant positive impact.

For example, a $10 donation to Take Care Tahoe will:

Provide lunch for one trail building volunteer
Provide three new Take Care Tahoe signs, with friendly and amusing reminders to visitors and residents to Take Care of Tahoe

“Beyond empowering and educating travelers on the exact type of positive impact they can make through their donation, it’s proven in the biology of kindness that by donating or volunteering, it’s possible to create a chemical shift in your brain, leading one to feel happier and healthier. This is the perfect storm for the traveler looking to have a more memorable, meaningful, and values-aligned vacation experience,” said Jessica Blotter, CEO & Co-Founder of Kind Traveler.

Participating Kind Hotels

Edgewood Tahoe:
As the first Kind Hotel to join the sustainable travel initiative in Lake Tahoe, Edgewood Tahoe, a LEED silver certified eco-luxury alpine lodge, is offering exclusive hotel rates and perks as reward for a $10 nightly donation to Take Care Tahoe, or a charity of choice, on Kind Traveler’s Give + Get hotel booking and education platform. In addition to exclusive hotel rates, perks include 20 percent off spa services, a daily $20 dining credit, a complimentary glass of wine or cocktail at check-in, a welcome amenity, and more.

Hard Rock Hotel Lake Tahoe:
One of the most widely recognized brands worldwide, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe, has also joined initiative to empower travelers to support Take Care Tahoe. In addition to recently eliminating all plastic straws and transitioning to paper only to-go bags, Hard Rock will offer perks that include a $15 food & beverage credit, a $15 Free Play Voucher, and upon availability, a room upgrade and late check-in/check-out.

Future Kind Hotels:
The initiative plans to on-board additional Kind Hotels in Lake Tahoe in further engaging all stakeholders in the sustainable travel campaign.

Destination Stewardship Through Education
Take Care has created a fun and youthful campaign that shares the message of responsible travel through downloadable posts for travelers to easily share in furthering the message that is critical in keeping Lake Tahoe sustainable for generations to come. As an education platform, Kind Traveler will champion and amplify the Take Care Tahoe campaign through its blog, newsletters, and social media to further the message of responsible travel to Lake Tahoe.

For more information on how travelers can #TravelKindly to South Lake Tahoe, visit www.kindtraveler.com.

ABOUT TAKE CARE TAHOE
Take Care Tahoe is a collective group of more than 30 organizations that love Lake Tahoe and want to see more people connect with this beautiful natural environment. Through a regional collaboration, the team has created a clever and engaging stewardship campaign that reminds residents and visitors to take care of Tahoe. The newly launched www.takecaretahoe.org is a one-stop resource for all things related to environmental education events, volunteer opportunities and messages in the Tahoe Region, with information on more than 30 organizations and more than 200 events. Tahoe Fund is the fiscal sponsor of Take Care Tahoe.

ABOUT KIND TRAVELER
Kind Traveler, a public benefit corporation (PBC), is the first socially conscious ‘Give + Get’ hotel booking and sustainable travel education platform that empowers travelers to make a positive community or environmental impact to the destinations they visit. Travelers access exclusive rates and special perks to book directly with curated hotels upon a $10 nightly donation to a local charity that positively impacts the visiting destination, or to charity of choice on Kind Traveler. 100 percent of the donations raised on the Kind Traveler platform go directly to charities. Kind Traveler currently represents 100+ hotels and 60 charities in 15 countries. All charities are poised to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at KindTraveler.com.

Bike Coalition and Tahoe Fund Add 350 New Bike Racks Around the Basin

September 30, 2019 by aberry

Second year of program supported by Squaw Valley’s $5 Fridays promotion

Year two of an initiative spearheaded by the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition with grants from the Tahoe Fund and Squaw Valley’s $5 Fridays promotion resulted in the installation of 126 new bike racks at businesses in the Tahoe Basin this summer. In the past two years, over 340 new bike racks that provide security for nearly 700 bikes, two public repair stations that feature a permanent bike stand and tools for common repairs, and five public “fix-it” stations with tools and a pump have been installed at businesses and outdoor recreation locations in the Tahoe Basin.

Increasing the amount of bicycle parking and access to free repair stations region-wide encourages residents and visitors to bike which helps reduce vehicle emissions and roadway sediment associated with driving that impact the Lake. Every business that requested racks through the Bicycle Coalition’s short online survey received at least one.

“We have two coworking spaces in North Lake Tahoe—and both are right on the bike path, so promoting bike-to-work commuting for our users makes total sense,” said Megan Michelson, cofounder of Tahoe Mill Collective. “Once we added the bike racks from the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition and Tahoe Fund, it made encouraging people to ride to work that much easier. They can lock up without dragging valuable bikes inside the office or leaving them outside in precarious places. For Tahoe’s businesses, having consistent, high quality racks out front sends a clear message: We love cyclists!”

“We’re excited to partner with the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition to get more folks out of their cars and enjoying Tahoe on bikes,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “Improving transportation is a critical need in the Basin, so racks that allow people to safely store and lock up their bikes is a win-win.”

The Bike Coalition also upgraded their mobile bike parking (bike valet) equipment, purchased some much-needed supplies, and were able to provide parking for over 600 bikes at six events, including Earth Day, Lake Tahoe Summit, and other community and private events.

“It’s so nice to ride up somewhere and find a bike rack to lock to,” said Gavin Feiger, the president of the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition. “We are excited to be able to provide bike racks and repair stations around the Lake as part of our mission to make Tahoe more bicycle-friendly. Huge thanks to the Tahoe Fund and Squaw Valley for the funds to make it happen.”

An interactive map highlighting where racks were installed this year can be found online at tahoebike.org/bike-parking.

About Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition

The Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization with a mission to make Tahoe more bicycle friendly. LTBC promotes opportunities for more people to ride bikes in Tahoe, produces the most comprehensive printed and online bicycle maps for the Tahoe region, co-hosts the annual Lake Tahoe Bicycle Challenge each June, and advocates for bicycle safety. Learn more at tahoebike.org.

About Tahoe Fund

The Tahoe Fund was founded in 2010 to work with the private community to support environmental improvement projects that restore lake clarity, enhance outdoor recreation, promote healthier forests, improve transportation and inspire greater stewardship of the region. Through the generous support of private donors, the Tahoe Fund has leveraged more than $2 million in private funds to secure more than $40 million in public funds for more than 35 environmental projects. The projects include the new Tahoe East Shore Trail and other sections of the Lake Tahoe Bikeway, restoration of watersheds, removal of aquatic invasive species, forest health projects, public beach improvements, and stewardship programs. Learn more at www.tahoefund.org.

Former Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval Joins Tahoe Fund’s Council of Special Advisors

September 16, 2019 by aberry

Sandoval looks to further his legacy of support for Lake Tahoe in new role

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. (Sept. 17, 2019) – The nonprofit Tahoe Fund announced today that former Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has joined its Council of Special Advisors. Sandoval has a history of supporting Tahoe through his work as Governor of Nevada and as a past board member of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. In addition, in his role as Chair of the Nevada Department of Transportation, he played a critical role in bringing the Tahoe East Shore Trail to fruition; a project in which the Tahoe Fund was one of 13 participating agencies. While serving in the Nevada legislature, Sandoval was on the TRPA Oversight Committee and was a member of the Natural Resources, Mining and Agriculture Committee for two terms, each of which had jurisdiction over Tahoe related bills. Sandoval is the second to be appointed to the new advisory council, joining former Tahoe Fund board member and long-time Tahoe advocate Steven Merrill.

“On behalf of the Tahoe Fund board of directors, we are excited to have Governor Sandoval join our Council of Special Advisors,” said Tim Cashman, former Tahoe Fund board chair. “He has an impressive resume and is someone who has been a champion of Tahoe for many years. We’re thrilled he has agreed to join our efforts to build a sustainable future for Lake Tahoe.”

The Tahoe Fund’s Council of Special Advisors was created to encourage the involvement of influencers who have demonstrated care and concern for Lake Tahoe and are willing to help advise and provide assistance to the Board of Directors. Specifically, members nominated to this advisory group will weigh in on the organization’s strategic direction, provide counsel on issues facing Lake Tahoe and help introduce other supporters and partners to the Tahoe Fund.

“I’ve long been a supporter of the work the Tahoe Fund has done on behalf of the environment and to encourage stewardship of the Tahoe Basin. Joining the Council of Special Advisors will allow me to continue to contribute to the ongoing work and success of the organization,” said former Governor Sandoval. “I look forward to jumping right in and lending my time and experience to the Tahoe Fund.”

The Tahoe Fund is a nonprofit organization that supports environmental improvement projects that restore lake clarity, expand sustainable recreation, promote healthier forests, improve transportation and inspire greater stewardship of the region. Learn more about the Tahoe Fund at www.tahoefund.org.