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More Than $520,000 Raised for Tree Research
by Cyclists
Cyclists Come Together in Week-Long
Fundraising Event for TREE Fund
PORTLAND – More than 100 cyclists trekked 585 miles during
the seven-day journey of the 2012 STIHL Tour des Trees,
raising more than $520,000 to benefit the Tree Research and
Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund). The Tour, sponsored by
STIHL Inc., has raised more than $5.5 million since its
inception in 1992 and continues to increase public awareness
for the research necessary to keep our trees and forests
thriving, including research quantifying the benefits of
trees to the economy and the environment, studying ways to
control diseases and pests, and increasing the survivability
of new tree selections.
The TREE Fund supports environmental sustainability by
funding efforts for research and education in arboriculture
and urban forestry. This includes scholarships for students
in the field, arboriculture education, resources for
workforce development, and funding grants for scientific
research. The TREE Fund has supplied more than $6 million
and more than 400 research grants in the past 36 years.
This year’s STIHL Tour des Trees began on August 5 and
traversed Oregon, ultimately finishing in the heart of
Portland on August 11 with a Ride for Research, a
recreational 25-mile in which local cyclists and tree
advocates joined the Tour for the day.
During the Tour, children’s educational programs and tree
plantings were led by Toronto arborist and veteran Tour
rider Warren Hoselton. These programs were conducted for
young audiences to learn about the importance of trees and
to contribute to the growing list of trees planted by
participants each year. More than 20 trees symbolizing the
importance of healthy trees and tree research have been
planted across Oregon as a legacy of the 2012 Tour.
“The commitment of our cyclists is astounding. They put
their lives on hold for a week, and each raises a minimum of
$3,500 for our research grants in the fields of
arboriculture and urban forestry,” said Mary DiCarlo, fund
development specialist for the TREE Fund. “And
participating in education events like tree plantings really
creates an emotional bond that continues to bring cyclists
back each year.”
“The STIHL Tour des Trees is one of the most important
events we support each year,” said Anita Gambill of STIHL
Inc., the Tour’s title sponsor and a leading manufacturer of
outdoor power equipment. “The Tour positively influences the
future of our environment as well as the tree care community
that we work so closely with at STIHL.”
Since the first Tour in 1992, the event has inspired more
than 1,000 cyclists to participate and collectively generate
more than $5.5 million for tree research and programs to
educate the community. The STIHL Tour des Trees is a legacy
that continues to grow and reach increasingly more
supporters every year. Donations can still be made to the
TREE Fund through the STIHL Tour des Trees website,
www.stihltourdestrees.org and photos from each of
the events are available on the media page. B-roll from the
event can be downloaded at:
www.bluecouchmedia.com/stihl_tour_media_broll1_720p60.mp4
For more information visit:
www.stihltourdestrees.org
Sponsors of the 2012 STIHL Tour des Trees include
STIHL Inc.;
Bartlett Tree Experts;
reTREEt America;
Asplundh Tree Experts;
International Society of Arboriculture;
KASK Helmets;
Tree Care Industry Association;
The Davey Tree Expert Company;
Arizona Public Service;
National Grid;
Pacific Gas & Electric;
PacifiCorp;
Arborwell;
Forestry Equipment of Virginia;
Lewis Tree Service;
NGK Spark Plugs;
Trees, Inc.;
Unitil;
Utility Arborist Association;
West Coast Arborists Inc.;
Eco-Bond;
Ford Motor Company;
Pogo Organics; Tech
Tree Experts Inc.;
TREE Fund Board of Trustees;
Vermeer;
Washington Forestry Consultants, Inc.
and
Wright Tree Service, Inc.
About the TREE Fund:
The TREE Fund’s mission is to support sustainable
communities and environmental stewardship by funding
research, scholarships and education programs essential to
the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge in the
fields of arboriculture and urban forestry.
The TREE Fund has supported research that has led to
important developments in:
·
Understanding air pollution reduction and carbon
sequestration by trees
·
Determining the costs and benefits of urban trees
·
Improving conditions for tree growth in difficult sites
·
Strategies to manage diseases and pests that affect urban
trees
For more information, visit
www.treefund.org
About STIHL Inc.
STIHL Inc. manufactures the number one selling brand of
gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment in
America,* as well as the number one selling brand of chain
saws in the world. STIHL products are sold through servicing
power equipment retailers from coast to coast – not mass
merchants. STIHL products sold through U.S. STIHL dealers
are for distribution in the United States only. For more
information or for the name of a local STIHL retailer, call
toll free 1-800-GO STIHL (1-800-467-8445), visit
www.stihlusa.com
or text your zip code to 78445.
*"Number one selling brand" is based on syndicated Irwin
Broh Research (commercial landscapers) as well as
independent consumer research of 2009-2011 U.S. sales and
market share data for the gasoline-powered handheld outdoor
power equipment category combined sales to consumers and
commercial landscapers.
STIHL is pleased to support the work of
Independent We Stand,
the
Tree Research and Education Endowment
Fund (TREE Fund),
International Society of Arboriculture
(ISA),
the
Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA),
National FFA,
Professional Landcare Network (PLANET),
the
American Tree Farm System (ATFS),
and the
National Association of State Park
Directors.
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