On Arizona Gives Day and Every Day
“Forty-five years ago, I was fortunate to spend two weeks on a four-person raft traveling the Colorado River and hiking the canyons. It was a time to experience the power and life-giving source of this majestic river, which has been an economic resource for generations of my family. The river supported the flourishing delta of my childhood where an abundance of birds, bobcats and otters thrived. This river flowed to the sea, providing resources for the native peoples who have lived along its banks for centuries. Forty-five years later, this majestic Colorado River is in serious trouble and my support of the Sonoran Institute is my way of giving back to the river which has given so much to me and my family,” says Rowene Aguirre-Medina, a Sonoran Institute board member and resident of Gold Canyon, Arizona.
Rowene is committed because she believes in our mission and sees results: “Sonoran Institute works in real and measurable ways to restore portions of the Delta and return the Colorado River to the sea, enhancing the lives of all who live in the Colorado River Basin,” she explains. She has steadfastly served on our board of directors over many years, and has become deeply aware of how water challenges impact communities across Arizona, northern Mexico, throughout the Colorado River Basin and beyond. Many cities and farms rely on the same source of water requiring collaboration and innovation to meet the needs of communities and ecosystems—so that both [can] thrive!
On April 5–6 we will participate in Arizona Gives Day. With more than 20,000 nonprofits providing services in the state, we are one choice among many to earn your support. And yet, on the first Tuesday in April we see growing numbers of gifts because our mission to connect people and communities to the natural resources that nourish and sustain them is crucial today, and our track-record of conservation success is inspiring. This year, a generous donor has agreed to match 1:1 every donation up to $15,000. Give now by pre-scheduling your gift online.
Read on to hear from more of your neighbors about their decision to support Sonoran Institute.
Louise Glasser, Tucson:
“What a beautiful landscape we have here in Arizona, and what a joy it is to live here! The Sonoran Institute has been a major force in saving the lands that we love, including early work to save lands for Saguaro National Park. I have been acutely aware of our water issues since we first came to live in Arizona in 1969 and am most thankful for the Sonoran Institute’s work on the Santa Cruz River and especially in the restoration of the Delta of the Colorado River.”
Dan B. Kimball, Tucson:
“In my nearly 40-year career with the Federal government, I held positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service. I crossed paths several times with the Sonoran Institute, an organization that I found committed to science, collaboration with a wide range of partners, finding unique solutions to seemingly intractable issues, and engaging in the major environmental challenges facing the West. Now that I am retired, I have the incredibly good fortune of serving on the Board of Directors of the Sonoran Institute. I can be part of major, innovative projects like Colorado River Delta restoration, Growing Water Smart, and restoring the Santa Cruz River in Southern Arizona. I’m very proud to be part of the Sonoran Institute’s team in these efforts that make a difference for the West—for this and future generations.”
Joe P. Kalt, Tucson:
“I was born and raised in Arizona but moved away for forty years. Coming back has allowed me to connect with the Sonoran Desert and communities that I love, but it has also made me realize how critical the Sonoran Institute is to sustaining what I think all Arizonans love about where they live. In the face of relentless growth and change, the Sonoran Institute’s record of conservation through research-based and collaborative solutions is unsurpassed and indispensable.”
Dave Wegner, Tucson:
“The Sonoran Institute continues to build on their history of community collaboration to support the landscape and the species across the Southwest. They work across borders—political and real fences—to implement innovative approaches and understand diverse perspectives while striving for solutions.”
Support us April 5–6 by making a donation on our Arizona Gives Day page. Thank you!
Blog post by Corinne Matesich, marketing communications manager.