September Brings Celebration, Support
Wild Splendor 2018 and Give More 24 raise crucial funds and advance the Land Trust's conservation agenda.
September was a busy month for Columbia Land Trust and the community members who proudly support its mission. In addition to a press event attended by national elected officials, we hosted our biggest celebration of the year and helped rally Southwest Washingtonians to donate towards the protection of the Northwest places they love.
A Splendid Evening
On Thursday, September 13th, we at Columbia Land Trust held our annual gala and largest fundraiser, Wild Splendor, sponsored by Waste Connections. At the Loft on 8th Avenue in Southeast Portland, guests raised a glass to our recent accomplishments and raised their bidder cards in support for the important work ahead. Thanks to our generous supporters, we raised a record-breaking $331,000 for Columbia Land Trust! We premiered our short film, “With a Good Heart” featuring a letter to the future from longtime friend, advisor, and champion for conservation, Chuck Sams (stay tuned for the film’s release later this fall). Our executive director Glenn Lamb also invited the audience to send us their own letters to the future, and we invite you to do the same!
We are grateful to our emcee Laura Guderyahn, our volunteers, our Emerging Leaders Council, our Board of Directors, corporate sponsors and all of our generous supporters for making this year’s Wild Splendor a huge success.
Southwest Washingtonians Give More
Just a week after Wild Splendor, residents of southwest Washington rallied together in support of conservation for Give More 24!, an annual day of online giving coordinated by the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington. Thanks to our generous donors we exceeded our most ambitious sing-day goal to date, raising over $10,000 for Columbia Land Trust! We’d like to thank Dick Colf, a longtime supporter of the Land Trust, who matched the first $3,000 raised.
The Land Trust has deep roots in Clark County, and our 25-year conservation agenda details the ways in which we’ll conserve the vital forests, farmlands, rivers, and open spaces of the region while also expanding park and trail systems in the years ahead. The funds raised during Give More 24! will help support our work in treasured southwest Washington places such as Lacamas Lake, the East Fork Lewis River, the Washougal River, and beyond.
More to Come
If you are passionate about supporting local conservation but were unable to attend Wild Splendor or you missed Give More 24, don’t worry, we have one more day of giving on the calendar. Giving Tuesday, the unofficial holiday that follows the mania of Black Friday and Cyber Monday falls on November 27th this year. Please mark your calendars and keep your eye on our social channels to learn what we’ve got in store for the occasion, and how you can plug in to support the lands, waters, and wildlife that you care about most.
As always, if you’d rather not wait, you can make a gift today or become a monthly donor in our evergreen circle!