Foothills Conservancy 2017 Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge Underway

Gifts made by August 31 matched dollar-for-dollarFoothills Conservancy of North Carolina’s 2017 Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge is underway and this year the goal has been increased to $80,000.Two anonymous individuals together have pledged $37,500 and the von Drehle Corporation of Hickory has pledged $2,500 to match up to a total of $40,000 for this annual fund challenge and help donations go even further.So far the 2017 challenge has raised $23,835, and just under one month remains to raise the remaining $16,165 in order to achieve the full match of $40,000 and reach the total goal of $80,000.Gifts made during this matching challenge help Foothills Conservancy advance current projects that protect scenic vistas, preserve family farmland through conservation easements, and safeguard the water quality of the streams and rivers that millions rely on for recreation and drinking water.“We consider it a privilege that, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we at Foothills Conservancy can use our expertise and resources as a regional land trust to work with people in our community who are passionate about land and water conservation to achieve our shared goals,” said Susie Hamrick Jones, the conservancy’s executive director.Those who care about and want to protect the Blue Ridge Mountains and their foothills are invited to make a tax-deductible gift to this summer’s Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge to help add to the more than 51,000 acres of land and thousands of miles of streams, rivers and lakeshores that Foothills Conservancy has permanently protected in the region since 1995.Gifts may be securely submitted by credit card at www.foothillsconservancy.org/donate/; by check payable to Foothills Conservancy and mailed to P.O. Box 3023, Morganton, N.C. 28680; or by calling 828-437-9930.