Four organizations in Door County have been selected to receive a 2019 Cellcom Green Gift, including Crossroads at Big Creek, Gibraltar School, Climate Change Coalition of Door County and The Ridges Sanctuary.
Crossroads at Big Creek manages 200 acres across three properties for preservation, environmental education and recreation. The organization received a $500 Green Gift from Cellcom to support additional parking areas at The Cove Preserve. Currently people accessing The Cove have needed to drive on land that is environmentally sensitive. The addition of proper parking area will protect the integrity of the land and water at the preserve.
Gibraltar Area Schools just celebrated 100 years of education and Friends of Gibraltar has been providing hands-on, experiential curriculum and programming for the school for the past 37 years. Friends of Gibraltar programs take place during the school day for an entire grade level for grades K-12. The groups received a $500 Green Gift to support the addition of Everyday is Earth Day environmental education for K-3 students provided by The Ridges Sanctuary. This will include forest days, garden boxes, composting and waste reduction efforts on a monthly basis throughout the school year.
The Ridges Sanctuary also received a $540 Green Gift to support its Washington Island Environmental Education Pilot Program. Staff from The Ridges will travel to Washington Island and teach place-based curriculum that connects to their classroom units. With the unique, biologically diverse coastal habitats of Washington Island, The Ridges staff will have the opportunity to engage students with their surroundings while reinforcing science curriculum.
Climate Change Coalition of Door County formed in 2012 to increase public understanding of climate change. The organization received a $600 Green Gift to support its community tree planting project. In 2020 the organization plans to partner with local non-profits and businesses, as well as residents to distribute and facilitate the planting of 500 trees throughout the county.
A total of 32 green organizations received a share of the $37,398 in Green Gifts from Cellcom this year. The Green Gifts program uses funds generated from Cellcom’s cell phone recycling program to fund green nonprofit initiatives. Customers and community members can bring in their old or unwanted phones to be reused and recycled. Cellcom sends the phones to recyclers who in return send money to Cellcom for the materials that were saved from the phones. Cellcom’s Green Gift program completes the green cycle that starts with consumers being environmentally-conscious and donating their devices.
“By simply recycling old devices our customers are partners in our Green Gifts program. Together we are investing in our communities and contributing to programs and projects that support sustainability and have a positive impact on the environment,” said Cindy Durand, director of public affairs at Cellcom.
Visit Cellcom’s website for the full list of award recipients. Cellcom is proud to support organizations of all sizes, whose work is impacting the community and building a greener tomorrow. The company’s recycling program has generated $484,373 for local charities over the past 16 years.
Cellcom is an innovative wireless company that provides nationwide service for its customer base throughout Wisconsin and Michigan, with more than 50 retail and agent locations. Cellcom is respected for its long-standing reputation of delivering extraordinary customer care, being a strong community partner, and for its renowned network, which is customized to its rural markets. As a subsidiary of Nsight, Cellcom is part of a family of companies offering complete telecommunications services.