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Tread Lightly! distributes grants to member clubs

The national nonprofit organization Tread Lightly!, has just announced a new benefit to outdoor enthusiast clubs that are Tread Lightly! members: eligibility to receive a grant for a Restoration for Recreation project.

From Tread Lightly!

Tread Lightly!, whose mission is to empower generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly, recently received an endowment for its Restoration for Recreation program to specifically be administered as a grant-giving initiative. The program aims to restore, repair or enhance outdoor recreation areas. It is also formatted to educate community members in responsible outdoor ethics. The endowment will be distributed to select member clubs who have pinpointed areas in need of help through restoration and education. Although the benefit is reserved exclusively for Tread Lightly! club members, any club that becomes a member within the current year will also have an opportunity to propose a project for 2003.

The Tread Lightly! Restoration for Recreation program began in 1997. It was created to relieve the increasing pressures from recreation, irresponsible recreation practices, aging facilities, and a lack of government funding. These problems have mounted, resulting in environmentally degraded recreation sites.

In addition to restoration, the program also focuses on education. Tread Lightly! will distribute educational materials to club members, volunteers and surrounding schools. With education, Tread Lightly! hopes to increase the level of positive recreation behaviors among outdoor enthusiasts.

"This grant program is a wonderful way to expand our Restoration for Recreation campaign while also providing a valuable added benefit to our supportive members whose recreational resources are so important to them," said Tread Lightly! executive director Lori Davis.

Member clubs are not guaranteed to receive a grant. Instead, proposed projects are graded on set criteria including cost, maintenance, membership status, value of the project to the area and other factors.

Current member benefits for clubs include free educational materials, newsletters, discounts on Tread Lightly! merchandise, use of the Tread Lightly! corporate logo and other tangible and intangible advantages.

Grant applications are available on the Tread Lightly! web site at www.treadlightly.org. Membership applications are also available online. Membership for becoming a voting club is $250, nonvoting is $100 annually.

Based in Ogden, Utah, Tread Lightly! is a non-profit organization that is an ethical and educational force among outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them. Tread Lightly! carries out programs designed to instill a proactive, low-impact message among enthusiasts, manufacturers, advertising agencies, the media and children of all ages.

Please email feedback@treadlightly.org for questions or comments about this article.

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