Tis the season to give back to Michigan, the state that has done so much for Cherry Republic. Each day in December, Cherry Republic will designate an organization for a major contribution. In total, we will give away $150,000.
December 31st.
Crosshatch. $10,000. This is an ongoing contribution for this valuable organization supporting small farms and young farmers. With innovative projects like chicken coup, micro loans, compost, preservation station, the small farm conference, this organization is helping share a great vision for a growing farm based economy around the north.
December 30th.
$4,500 to Father Fred, Northern Michigan Environmental Services and Third Level. $1,500 checks to these three organizations working for the well being and mental health of northern Michigan resident.
December 29th.
$3,000 to Grist. Grist is the leading online environmental magazine in the country. This e-magazine does a terrific job of keeping the news edgy, relevant and inspiring.
December 28th.
$3,000 Michigan Environmental Council. This is ongoing support for this important organization protecting Michigan’s environment.
December 27th.
$5,000 Homestretch and Traverse Health Clinic. A $2,500 check to Homestretch Affordable Housing located in Traverse City and overseen by Grand Traverse County, this organization is working hard to create and oversee affordable housing in the region. Another $2,500 check to the Traverse Health Clinic to help make healthcare more reachable for those that don’t have insurance.
December 26th.
$3,000 Groundworks Solar Initiative. Thanks to Groundworks and other local environmental organizations, the Traverse City Council recently committed to creating 100% renewable energy. Groundworks TC Shines project will help make sure that commitment happens.
December 25th.
$5,000 to the Empire Area Community Center. This organization serves the Glen Lake community by helping out families hit by hard times.
December 24th.
December 23rd.
$5,000 to Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear for continued operational support for the 2017 year. This is the organization that works with the park service to protect and rebuild the historic buildings and landscapes in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
December 22nd.
$3,000 to the Leslie Science and Nature Center in Ann Arbor. It is great to support this terrific organization and property doing it’s best to capture nature’s beauty, so the next generations will be inspired to protect this spot and all the great places in our state.
December 21st.
$7,500 to Buckets of Rain, a northern Michigan based group working to inspire the cultivation and consumption of fresh vegetables in Detroit. Since 2012, Buckets of Rain has re-purposed 30 blighted lots into food production since 2013, and grown or provided hundreds of thousands of servings of vegetables, free of charge, to their partners and neighbors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
December 20th.
$3,000 check to Circle of Blue and $1,000 contributions to two other water protection and education groups– the Glen Lake Association and Inland Seas Education Association. Landowners, students, nearly everyone can make a difference in protecting our lakes and waterways if we have a better understanding of the issues influencing our most important natural resource. These are three important groups– one working locally, one nationally and one internationally.
December 19th.
$7,500 to the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. Again, this is from our 1% refundable tariff program for farmland protection and to strengthen the local farming economy in the north. The GTRLC works to protect farms in Antrim, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Benzie and Manistee.
December 18th.
Two $2,500 checks to two Traverse City organizations working to improve the recreational opportunities in our “capital” of the north. A contribution will be made today to Preserve Hickory Hills Capital Campaign to improve the 60 year old ski hill and recreation area to the west of Traverse City. A second check is in support the efforts of TART Trails, whose mission is to enrich the Traverse area by providing a network of trails, bikeways and pedestrian ways; and encouraging their use.
December 17th.
$7,500 to the Leelanau Conservancy. This contribution was made several weeks ago as a challenge to the conservancy supporters and our customers. If the conservancy received 250 donations in a week through a special Crowdrise online challenge, we’d give $7,500. Well, 275 donors gave $24,070 and 115 of those donors were brand new. Cherry Republic’s contribution is from our 1% refundable tariff program for farmland protection in the north. Farmland contributes to the rural character of northern Michigan that help make our region such a great place to live or visit.
December 16th
December 15th.
December 14th
Here’s two donations in support of the greater Charlevoix area and all the great customers that visit our store in that terrific small town. One $3,000 check goes to the Grass River Natural Area, a 1,400 preserve protecting wetlands, shorelines, and wildlife . This request comes from Todd Gyulveszi, a part board member and great staff member here at Cherry Republic. The second check, for $3,500 goes to the Little Traverse Nature Conservancy as a longstanding donation to keep these good folks doing what they do best– preserving and protecting the wonderful lands in around Little Traverse Bay.
December 13th.
$10,000 to help increase the opportunities to Mt. Bike in Michigan. Hey, it’s a safe form of biking (no cars to compete with) and it gets us into the wild and woods in an exciting way. $3,000 goes to the Valley Spur Mt. Bike Trail in Munising. $4,000 goes to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s Echo Valley Trail to help cover the $25,000 cost of an Environmental Assessment. And finally, a $3,000 check will be written to a secret mountain bike trail just a gear shift away from Glen Arbor that will be unveiled later this winter.
December 12th.
December 11th.
$3,500 to the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy to purchase two head of cattle from their Misty Acres Farm. The majority of the grass fed beef will be donated to the Benzie and Leelanau County Food Banks. It is a great way to support the raising of good local food, a terrific conservancy and our local food banks– and do it all at the same time with one check.
December 10th
December 9th
A $3,000 check will be written to the Cass River Greenway. Cass River is the beautiful river that meanders by our new store in Frankenmuth. The organization is working to enhance recreational opportunities and the environmental well-being of the Cass River Corridor. This is the first donation of what we hope is many that we make over the years in the Frankenmuth area.
December 8th
December 7th
Today, we send a check for $3,000 to Trek Epic, a national organization that organizes and sponsors guided international backpacking trips for young adults. Staff member Alicia Sharp, who requested this donation, has participated in several of these treks. Trek Epic pays for all of a young person’s hike expenses except for the plane ticket. Their website can be found here and a video (featuring Alicia) is here.
December 6th
December 5th
December 4th
December 3rd
December 2nd
A $5,000 check will be written from Cherry Republic’s own funds to the Washtenaw Camp Placement Association. For four years, we have helped send kids from the Ann Arbor region to summer camp in Northern Michigan. WCPA has sent nearly 10,000 kids to camp in the last 60 years who would not have the opportunity otherwise. Check out this great organization here.
December 1st
Our goal: Donate $150,000 in the month of December
Since 2001, Cherry Republic has donated a total of: $500,000 raised from the 1% Refundable Tariff Program $1,250,000 raised from the 1% Environmental/Community Program A refundable tariff for you. Double the tariff for us.
