Divers circumnavigating 72-miles of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline set their sights on the final stretch to complete trash recovery effort, a project made possible by a $100K donation from Tahoe Blue Vodka, 135 Tahoe Fund donors & other grant giving foundations 

Despite a summer dive season filled with challenges, the SCUBA dive team that embarked on the effort to clean up Lake Tahoe is now well past the halfway point, having reached the west shore. The team has covered over 43.5 miles of shoreline since the clean-up effort began at Edgewood on Lake Tahoe’s south shore on May 14, and is bracing for a cold winter of diving with just over 28 miles to go until they reach the finish line. Led by the nonprofit Clean Up The Lake, the effort was made possible by a $100,000 matching donation from Tahoe Blue Vodka, contributions from more than 135 Tahoe Fund donors including Vail Resorts, and the Nevada Division of State Lands’ Lake Tahoe License Plate program and other local grant giving foundations.

Over the past six months, divers have recovered 21,091 pieces of trash, bringing the total weight removed to 18,215 pounds. Clean Up The Lake intends to collaborate with scientific institutions and environmental consultants to study the submerged litter to develop a better  understanding of its impact on Lake Tahoe. Along the north and west shores, divers have recovered not only plastic bottles, cans and other “typical” trash, but a variety of unique items such as an engagement ring, a toy BB gun, a BBQ, poker chips, lawn chair, and an international drivers license.

“Since this effort began, our team of professional and volunteer divers have been in the water as much as possible. We’ve faced significant challenges including heavy winds, wildfire smoke, divers being evacuated from their homes due to the Caldor Fire, and record snowfall in October, yet we’re still ambitiously focused on the finish line,” said Colin West, Clean Up The Lake founder and executive director. “Although this effort has successfully removed a tremendous amount of trash from Lake Tahoe, all of us who have been diving to recover it hope the message it sends is louder–that we all need to do everything we can to prevent trash from getting into the lake to begin with.”

“At Tahoe Blue Vodka, we’re proud and honored to be the presenting sponsor of this unprecedented and meaningful underwater scuba clean-up of the entire 72-miles of Lake Tahoe,” said Matt Levitt, founder of Tahoe Blue Vodka. “With the finish line now in sight, we also want to share how incredibly impressed we are with the perseverance of the dedicated team of divers and volunteers determined to see the project through. Tahoe Blue is the only vodka in the world inspired by and crafted from waters of Lake Tahoe so we are thrilled to support efforts to keep the water pure and pristine.”  

Divers will continue the clean-up throughout the winter as conditions allow, and expect to complete the effort in early 2022, weather and conditions permitting.

“When we agreed to support this project, we knew it was a unique opportunity to contribute to the health of Lake Tahoe. It continues to be amazing how much and what type of trash has been recovered,” said Allen Biaggi, Tahoe Fund board chair. “The importance of this work and the value it has to those who love Lake Tahoe was evident when so many individual and corporate donors stepped up to help. It wouldn’t have happened without them.”

The project was funded by contributions raised by the Tahoe Fund from more than 135 businesses and people who donated to the cause, including an initial $100,000 match offered by Tahoe Blue Vodka. Additional funding support came from Vail Resorts, the Nevada Division of State Lands Lake Tahoe License Plate program and other grant-giving foundations.

Learn more about the project here.

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (Aug. 10, 2021) At an event hosted recently by Compass-Oldham Group and the developers of the new Village at Gray’s Crossing to help launch the new community, the Tahoe Fund was awarded a $10,000 donation to aid in its efforts to support environmental projects in the Tahoe Basin.

“On behalf of the Tahoe Fund, we are so thankful to the Abbate family, Huff Construction, and Verakin Capital for their donation,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “As they celebrate the start of construction of this new community, it is heartwarming to see them also focus their efforts on supporting the Tahoe environment.” 

The developers of The Village at Gray’s Crossing are committed to improving the region and contributing to environmental projects that benefit the community at large. Through this new partnership with the Tahoe Fund, they anticipate additional fundraising efforts as the development continues to contribute to projects that benefit the Basin and the surrounding region for generations to come. 

“Being a successful company goes beyond our daily operations. For Huff Construction, it’s also about giving back and supporting each other, our planet, and the communities where we live and work,” said Gary Huff, CEO of Huff Construction. “The Tahoe Fund has been actively working on projects that enhance the sustainability of the Tahoe Basin and they’re the perfect organization to support as we look for meaningful ways to give back to our community.”

Since it launched in 2010, the Tahoe Fund has been a leader and convener in the completion of key environmental projects in the Tahoe Basin, focusing on projects designed to restore the forest, improve lake clarity, support more sustainable outdoor recreation, provide transportation solutions and create more stewards of the Tahoe environment. Flagship projects have included the acquisition of Johnson Meadow and the completion of the Tahoe East Shore Trail. 

Donations will fund field trips for kids with physical disabilities to the Tahoe East Shore Trail and Sand Harbor State Park

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (July 27, 2021) – An anonymous donor has offered a $10,000 match to the Tahoe Fund, boosting its fundraising efforts in support of Camp Wamp, a sleepaway camp for children with physical disabilities. Last month, the Tahoe Fund announced it partnered with Camp Wamp to give campers a unique experience on the shores of Lake Tahoe in 2022.

“This generous match brings us closer to achieving our fundraising goal for Camp Wamp and giving the kids who plan to come to camp next year a truly unique opportunity to experience Lake Tahoe,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “We are so grateful to those who have contributed to this effort and recognize the life-changing value that programs like Camp Wamp can provide to kids with physical disabilities.”

In total, the Tahoe Fund aims to raise $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. Every dollar donated will now be matched until the fundraising goal is reached. 

Started in 2002 by Stephen Wampler, Camp Wamp offers six one-week sessions every summer in July and August for kids ages 10 to 18 with physical disabilities. The camp has hosted over 1,250 kids over the years, and is focused on teaching campers about self-reliance and their own ambition. They sleep outdoors on the 129-acre property on cots under the stars, they hike, fish on 9-acre Deer Lake, climb a rock wall, participate in arts, crafts, and have competitions.

“On behalf of our entire Camp Wamp team, we are so appreciative of the support for our program,” said Stephen Wampler, Camp Wamp founder. “The opportunity the Tahoe Fund is helping us create on the Tahoe East Shore Trail and at Sand Harbor for the kids who come to camp is something they will never forget.”

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.

To help us earn the match, click here.

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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 $3 million in private funds to secure more than $50 million in public funds for more than 40 environmental projects. The projects include new 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.

About Camp Wamp

Founded in 2002 by Stephen Wampler, Camp Wamp is a sleep-away camp that provides life-changing experiences for children with physical disabilities. Camp Wamp offers five to six 1-week sessions every July and August at its 129-acre wilderness camp in the High Sierra near Lake Tahoe, and serves 120 kids each summer. Campers sleep under the stars and experience everything the outdoors has to offer. All activities are adaptable to the abilities of the kids, and Camp Wamp offers a 1:1 counselor to camper ratio. Learn more about Camp Wamp and the Stephen J. Wampler Foundation at stephenjwamplerfoundation.org.

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.