BAPS Charities donates $100,000 to TNC to help plant a billion trees

Robbinsville, NJ – Vishnu (age 8) along with his younger brother Brahma (age 6) had their laces tied and were ready to go on an early Sunday morning. Vishnu was to participate in BAPS Charities' Walk Green 2016 to fundraise for a cause close to his heart: saving the environment. Vishnu raised $851.59 by going door to door in his neighborhood. Over 17,000 BAPS Charities volunteers similar to Vishnu in 53 cities across USA were determined to take action for reversing the impact of global warming. Their collective effort supported The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to plant one billion trees by 2025 through their Plant a Billion Trees initiative. The effort will help plant 70,000 trees in 2016.  

On September 10, 2016, BAPS Charities presented The Nature Conservancy (TNC) with a donation of $100,000 in Robbinsville, NJ. BAPS Charities youth, Board members, presented The Nature Conservancy’s Maria Fisher, Annual Giving & Stewardship Officer; John Stapleton, Legacy Club Donor Relations Manager; and Erin Daly, Donor Relations Manager (New Jersey) with the gift followed by a tree-planting ceremony.

“It means a lot to us that your support is made possible by the thousands of BAPS Charities volunteers who believe, like we do, that a healthy planet is critical to building healthy communities where both nature and people can thrive,” said Mark Tercek, President and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “BAPS Charities has shown that serving as good stewards of the planet is the collective responsibility that you take seriously. We also appreciate how you bring awareness to environmental issues and environmental opportunities on occasions like Earth Day and by supporting initiatives like planting trees, promoting water conservation and renewable energy sources.”



Speaking on the occasion, Erin Daly, Donor Relations Manager said, “Thank you to BAPS Charities for your incredibly generous contribution to The Nature Conversancy’s plant a billion initiate in North America. I was especially inspired to see so many children and teenagers participating, not just in the walk but also in the opening ceremonies, and management of the walk. Engaging the next generation of stewards for our planet is extremely crucial, and I am glad BAPS Charities shares that commitment.”
John Stapleton, The Nature Conservancy’s Legacy Club Donor Relations Manager, said, “The leadership, support and successful promotion of conversation through the BAPS Charities nationwide walkathons, has raised awareness and support for the restoration of forests in United States. I would like to command BAPS Charities and its unique civil mobilization that transcends nations, states, and ages harnesses a deep sense of volunteerism and inspires and as well empowers us to step up the environmental challenges of our times. You are our true partner in conservation. Thank you.”
TNC staff joined BAPS Charities at 28 of the walk locations around the country to participate as walkers alongside BAPS Charities volunteers, and also provided regional and national updates of their work. Across all Walk Green 2016 events, The Nature Conservancy staff commended the strong support of young people interested in environmental preservation.

Jane Miller, Deputy Director of Philanthropy at The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey commented after visiting the Walk Green 2016 in Robbinsville, “I am blown away that an all-volunteer organization can put together something that is this huge and does so much good and involve so many young people. I understand that BAPS Charities has helped in disaster relief after Sandy, also doing relief work globally not just locally, and they are visionaries in this kind of work.”
In addition to the annual Walkathon, BAPS Charities actively supports environmental sustainability efforts throughout the year through recycling projects and utilizing solar power. BAPS Charities is also involved with tree planting and water conservation efforts as well as promoting effective management practices in activities to ensure optimal and efficient energy consumption.

BAPS Charities Walk Green 2016 Locations:
Atlanta, GA
Detroit, MI
Manassas, VA
Sacramento, CA
Austin, TX
Edison, NJ
Miami, FL
San Antonio, TX
Bakersfield, CA
Fresno, CA
Minneapolis, MN
San Diego, CA
Bloomington, IL
Hartford, CT
Nashville, TN
San Jose, CA
Boston, MA
Harrisburg, PA
New Castle, DE
San Francisco, CA
Charlotte, NC
Houston, TX
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Cherry Hill, NJ
Indianapolis, IN
Orlando, FL
St. Louis, MO
Chicago, IL
Jackson, MI
Parsippany, NJ
Tampa, FL
Cincinnati, OH
Jacksonville, FL
Philadelphia, PA
Virginia Beach, VA
Cleveland, OH
Jersey City, NJ
Phoenix, AZ
Warrington, PA
Clifton, NJ
Kansas City, KS
Portland, OR
Washington, D.C.
Columbus, OH
Lansdale, PA
Raleigh, NC

Dallas, TX
Little Rock, AR
Richmond, VA

Dayton, OH
Los Angeles, CA
Robbinsville, NJ


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About BAPS Charities
BAPS Charities is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit international charity organization committed to sincerely serving the world by caring for individuals, families, and communities. It is affiliated with BAPS as an independent charity and social services arm. The 55,000 BAPS volunteers networked in over 3,300 centers around the world provide over 12 million volunteer-hours of service annually.

Among social service charities, BAPS Charities is a well-respected and trusted name. It has amassed over 50 years of firsthand experience in initiating, managing, and sustaining 160 humanitarian operations throughout the world in such diverse fields as: medical services, environmental services, community services, tribal services, and disaster relief services.

For additional information on BAPS Charities and its international and local philanthropic activities, please visit www.bapscharities.org.