At a reception held on Capitol Hill yesterday evening, Unilever, one of
the world’s largest consumer products
companies, in partnership with the National Park Foundation (NPF),
national charitable partner of America’s
National Parks, awarded grants to 12 national parks and related park
Friends Groups across America totaling $240,000. Unilever U.S. President
Kevin Havelock presented the grant awards with NPF President and CEO,
Vin Cipolla.
“As the longest-standing corporate partner of
the National Park Foundation and with contributions and in-kind
donations expected to exceed $50 million by year-end, Unilever is very
proud of the work we have accomplished together,”
said Havelock. “As a global company, we
believe we have a responsibility to address social, economic, and
environmental challenges that impact our consumers and society and our
work with the Parks demonstrates our belief that businesses can do well
by doing good.”
“As the national charitable partner for our
parks, the National Park Foundation believes that it is essential to
continue the rich tradition in which the parks were founded and have
been sustained – public and private interests
working in tandem,” said Cipolla. “We
are privileged to stand together with charitable partners like Unilever
to support projects that help ensure America’s
391 national parks remain vital and relevant for the next century.”
Unilever’s Recycling at Work Sustainable
Grant Awards are a core part of the organization’s
commitment to preserve and protect America’s
National Parks through the National Park Foundation. Established as a
program within the Foundation in 1998, the Recycling at Work Grants are
open to all 391 national parks and awarded to parks that have
demonstrated a need for employing sustainable lumber to enhance park
infrastructure and, in turn, enhance the visitor experience.
This year’s Unilever Recycling at Work
Sustainable Grant program recipients include:
-
Flight 93 Memorial – $17,500 for
Sustainable Decking and a Ramp at the park’s
new headquarters building
-
Gateway National Recreation Area, Jamaica Bay Unit –
$48,000 for Ecology Village Tent Platforms
-
Great Sand Dunes National Park National Park and Preserve –
$7,900 for replacement of handicapped-accessible Dunes View Boardwalk
-
Ninety Six National Historic Site – $26,500
for refurbishment of Park footbridges
-
Yellowstone National Park – $50,000 for the
Trails Fund Initiative
Since 1998, Unilever has also awarded more than $1 million in
discretionary grants through the National Park Foundation to enhance
parks and support their sustainability initiatives. The 2008 recipients
of Unilever funded discretionary grants include:
-
Padre Island National Seashore – $15,000
for Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Preservation
Program
-
National Capital Region – $10,000 for the
National Cherry Tree Replacement Fund
-
The Battery Conservancy – $10,000 for the
Conservancy’s continued restoration efforts
in lower Manhattan
-
Pea Ridge National Military Park – $10,000
for the restoration of the Park’s historic
trail system
-
Save Ellis Island, Inc. – $5,000 for the
restoration of Ellis Island and Fort Mason
-
Statue of Liberty National Monument, Discover Liberty Exhibit –
$30,000 representing the first installment of a two-year, $65,000
commitment
-
Weir Farm Trust – $10,000 for continued
restoration efforts in the Park
“We are proud of Unilever’s
partnership with the National Park Foundation and our involvement with
the National Park Service. This commitment is an integral part of our
work in the area of social responsibility and sustainable development
and we look forward to continuing our partnership,”
Havelock concluded.
About Unilever
Unilever’s mission is to add vitality to
life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care
with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of
life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions
to purchase Unilever products.
In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as:
Axe, “all,” Ben &
Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal
care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise,
Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of
the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever
Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities
where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 14,000 people
in both the United States and Puerto Rico –
generating nearly $11 billion in sales in 2007. For more information,
visit www.unileverusa.com.
About the National Park Foundation
The National Park Foundation (www.nationalparks.org)
is a 501©(3) organization chartered by
Congress in 1967 to continue a century-long tradition of private
philanthropy ensuring funding to preserve and enhance the legacy of our
national parks. As the official non-profit partner of America’s
National Parks, the National Park Foundation does not receive federal
appropriations for their support. The National Park Foundation serves to
strengthen the connection between the American people and their national
parks by raising private funds, making strategic grants, creating
innovative partnerships and increasing public awareness. Support of the
National Park Foundation ensures that the evolving history and rich
heritage of our nation remains vital and relevant.
