Golf resort and its guests added dollar donations to rounds of golf

LAKE TAHOE Calif. and Nev. (Tuesday, April 28, 2015) – With the crystal blue waters of Tahoe in the background, Edgewood Tahoe presented a donation of $9,274 to the Tahoe Fund to help preserve the Tahoe environment. The donation is a result of dollar donations added to rounds of golf during the 2014 season by Edgewood Tahoe and its guests through a program called Green Bucks.

“Edgewood Tahoe is proud to support the efforts of the Tahoe Fund to restore and improve the Tahoe environment for our guests and everyone who enjoys Lake Tahoe,” said Chuck Scharer, CEO of Edgewood Companies. “Maintaining the beauty and environmental health of Tahoe is deeply important to our company and our guests.”

“Edgewood Tahoe gives their guests breathtaking views of the Lake from almost every hole on the course,” said Tim Cashman, Chair of the Tahoe Fund Board. “We are so thankful that they have also chosen to give so generously to our efforts.”

Green Bucks is a partner program between the Tahoe Fund and the Truckee River Watershed Council that aims to harness the passion of visitors and residents to help care for Lake Tahoe’s extraordinary environment.

Founded in 2010, the Tahoe Fund inspires the private community to support environmental projects that will improve lake clarity, enhance recreation and inspire environmental stewardship in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Tahoe Fund donors have provided funding for more than a dozen projects including watershed restoration, new bike paths, state park improvements, and environmental education initiatives.

The Tahoe Fund welcomes donations of any size to help sustain the organization and the extraordinary natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Information about the Green Bucks program and the Tahoe Fund is available at www.tahoefund.org, or by calling 775.298.0035.

Photo caption: Chuck Scharer and Bobby King of Edgewood Tahoe present a check to Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry and Tahoe Fund Board Member Pete Sonntag on the iconic 18th green of the Edgewood Tahoe course.

About the Tahoe Fund
The mission of Tahoe Fund is to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin by building broad support and funding for projects and programs that increase the enjoyment of the region for current and future generations. The Fund focuses grants on the core areas of conservation, recreation and education/stewardship.

LAKE TAHOE Calif. and Nev. – April 21, 2015 – South Lake Tahoe’s newest resort casino has become the newest Green Bucks partner. Green Bucks is a partner program between the Tahoe Fund and the Truckee River Watershed Council which aims to harness the passion of visitors and residents to help care for Lake Tahoe’s extraordinary environment.

“Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe is fortunate to have one of the world’s most beautiful and picturesque backdrops for our new resort casino. Participating in the Green Bucks program is just one way we can help in preserving this natural treasure for generations to come,” said Chris Fiumara, vice president and general manager of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe.

As members of the Green Bucks program, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe and other local businesses collect one dollar from every guest purchase of lift tickets, hotel accommodations and other items at participating locations in the Tahoe and Truckee region.  As an “opt-out” program, guests may choose not to participate and the contribution is removed from their bill.

“We are so thankful to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for joining our efforts to preserve Lake Tahoe,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “Through Green Bucks, their guests will now have the opportunity to give back to Tahoe while enjoying this great new resort.”

Proceeds from Green Bucks support the Tahoe Fund, the Truckee River Watershed Council and other public and nonprofit organizations in the region. These organizations fund projects that improve, enhance and restore watersheds, hiking and biking trails and environmental stewardship programs.

“The Green Bucks program is one more way we can help support the region,” said Jon Park, who, together with his brother David, owns the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe. “Our family has called this area home for generations. It is important to us to continue to contribute to the community in a positive way, and this includes protecting its natural environment.”

Take Care campaign materials are now ready for download

LAKE TAHOE Calif. and Nev. – April 15, 2015 – Litter. Dog poop. Unsafe fires. Bear safety. These are just some of the issues impacting our region. Today, the Lake Tahoe Outreach Committee unveiled the Take Care™ campaign to help reduce these impacts and promote a more responsible use of our great outdoors.

The campaign was designed for use in outreach efforts by public agencies, private businesses and nonprofit organizations in the Region. Aimed at residents and visitors, the campaign is a series of reminders that poke fun at the mistakes we all make when we’re not paying attention.

The initial launch includes messages for the 2015 summer season: general litter, cigarette butts and beer bottle litter, dog waste, fire safety, bear awareness, and aquatic invasive species prevention. A Take Care Kit featuring the digital files for all of the messages is now available to download for free at takecaretahoe.org.

“We held a workshop in September 2013 with more than 60 regional stakeholders to address these issues,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO and member of the Lake Tahoe Outreach Committee. “We heard loud and clear that a unified stewardship brand was needed to bring the region together to elevate our messages and see the biggest impact. We are thrilled to finally make the materials available to our regional partners for use in their outreach efforts.”

“The campaign is really fun and so different than what we normally use,” said Madonna Dunbar, of the Incline Village General Improvement District and the Tahoe Water Suppliers Association. “We are excited to join the regional effort by using the Take Care campaign to help keep our beaches, parks and trails clean.”

“We picked up more than 2,300 pounds of litter from just six beaches after last year’s July 4^th holiday,” said Jesse Patterson, Deputy Director of the League to Save Lake Tahoe and member of the Lake Tahoe Outreach Committee. “It is our hope that the community will adopt this new campaign in time to see a dramatic difference this year.”

Take Care was developed by the Lake Tahoe Outreach Committee, which is comprised of the Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, League to Save Lake Tahoe, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Tahoe Resource Conservation District, and Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative.

 Funding for Take Care was provided by Tahoe Fund, Martis Fund, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Barton Health. The campaign was developed by the creative team of Meg Siegal and Nate Laver.

For more information please visit www.takecaretahoe.org