Vote for Western Colorado Congress!
In an unusual case of allowing corporate giving to be guided by community input, the Denver store of outdoor clothing manufacturer Patagonia is asking area residents to select a local environmental organization to receive a $4,000 grant. Consumers can cast their ballots in the Patagonia store from June 10 through July 19 in a “Voice Your Choice” campaign that marks the newest initiative in Patagonia’s well-known support of environmental causes.
Western Colorado Congress is one of five organizations on the ballot. Our worthy competition includes Colorado Environmental Coalition, Colorado Wild, Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project, and the Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership.
Consumers can cast one vote per store per visit. No purchase is necessary. The winner will be announced at a special Grants Reception in the store in early August.
Voice Your Choice is an extension o Patagonia’s corporate Environmental Grants Program, which has generated more than $31 million in grants since 1985 through a policy of giving 1% of annual sales to environmental organizations worldwide.
Patagonia has a long-standing commitment to environmental causes that extends far beyond its grants program. The company uses 100% organic cotton for all Patagonia-branded apparel to avoid causing environmental damage from toxic chemicals used in growing conventional cotton. It also has used fleece made from post-consumer recycled plastic soda bottles since 1993; recycles competitors’ garments as well as its own through a program that accepts worn-out fleece, organic cotton t-shirts and Capilene products for recycling into new fibers; is creating a national park in Chile; and encourages sustainability through a variety of other initiatives.
