Greyslater's First 1% For the Planet Donation Recipient: North Carolina Rail-Trails!
About a month ago, Greyslater joined 1% For the Planet, a organization that requires members to donate 1% of their gross profits to environmental and social justice non-profit groups. We knew we wanted to get started right away, so we took a look at the list of eligible recipients- there were over 2,700.
"Um, how do we decide?" we asked each other. After perusing the list more closely, it was obvious we were picking groups from Chicago, which didn't seem quite fair. Of course we support local non-profits (and actively volunteer) but we have friends and customers around the world. So...now what?
Natalie and I decided that it would make sense to let our Facebook fans decide, since they've been loyal supporters from the start, so we announced that our 500th fan would win $50 to spend at the store and choose the non-profit. We were overwhelmed by the response- we had over 200 new fans in a couple of days- and it didn't take long to reach our goal. Hooray!
Our very excited fan ended up choosing North Carolina Rail-Trails. She and her husband are active bike riders and are soon moving to North Carolina from Wisconsin. Perfect. I was geeked at her choice, too, since I used to ride the awesome converted trails in western Michigan while growing up there. Below is a bit about what NC Rail-Trails does, from their Executive Director, Carrie Banks:
"North Carolina Rail-Trails is a state-wide land trust, focusing on preserving rail corridors and creating rail-trails. We are currently working in 17 communities that have active rail-trail projects. Donations assist us in offering technical and grant writing support to these communities. Rail-trails are so much more than just walking trails...they preserve history, create economic development opportunities, provide safe public spaces for exercising, commuting and recreating, as well as oftentimes becoming the heart of a community, that has lost much of its identity with the collapse of the manufacturing businesses in the south."
Well, I'm off to find more great stuff to add to our site- keep an eye out for the cuppow, Metamorphic Gear messenger bags, and Skweet water bottle cleaner, coming soon!
Katya
President and Nerd-in-Chief
Greyslater
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