NE Runner dev site
Rippleffect Chosen as
2014 Beneficiary for TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race
TD Charitable
Foundation to give $30,000 to organization promoting youth development
and leadership through adventure, healthy communities and living sustainably
CAPE
ELIZABETH, Maine
(January 13, 2014) ÛÒ The TD Charitable
Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, AmericaÛªs Most
Convenient Bank®, announced today that Rippleffect, a Portland-based
non-profit youth and community development organization operating outdoor
adventure programs, has been selected as the beneficiary of this
yearÛªs TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in Cape Elizabeth, Maine on Aug.
2.
Rippleffect
(www.rippleffect.net) provides Maine
youth with opportunities to emerge as leaders among their peers through
adventure in outdoor classrooms. The organization, which served 2,500 Maine
children in 2013, operates outdoor adventure and experiential education
programs in the greater Portland area, out of Cow Island (the
organizationÛªs 26-acre island in Casco Bay) and the White Mountains.
ÛÏThe TD Charitable Foundation is excited to partner
with Rippleffect; they are an innovative leadership and confidence-building
organization that strengthens communities,Û said Larry Wold, TD Bank Market President for Maine. ÛÏTheir
approach ÛÒ hands-on education in outdoor classrooms ÛÒ makes
learning and growing fun and fulfilling for both children and adults so we are
honored to name this tremendous organization as the beneficiary of the 2014 TD
Beach to Beacon.Û
The
TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank (www.TDBank.com), will provide a
cash donation of $30,000 to Rippleffect. The organization also will benefit
from fundraising activities and publicity through its association with one of
MaineÛªs premiere sporting events.
The
TD Charitable Foundation has now donated $510,000 to Maine charities over the
17-year history of the TD Beach to
Beacon, while many past beneficiaries continue to raise significant funds
each year utilizing highly-coveted race entries allotted to them.
Rippleffect
Board Chair Katie Fullam Harris said the donation will enable the organization
to expand programming and fulfill its mission of ÛÏpromoting youth
development and leadership through adventure, healthy communities and living
sustainably.Û
“It is a tremendous honor for
Rippleffect to receive this recognition from the TD Charitable
Foundation,” Harris said. “We are excited by the opportunity to be
part of a race that embodies the spirit of Maine through its commitment to
community. This award will enable Rippleffect to continue our efforts to
provide outdoor learning adventures to all Maine children, regardless of economic
circumstance.”
Rippleffect
students build confidence, develop critical leadership skills, strengthen
relationships, and grow their appreciation for the outdoors through exploration
of Cow Island, the waters of Casco Bay, and the wilderness of New England.
Rippleffect
believes that year round, hands-on education in outdoor classrooms is
fundamental to the healthy development of citizens and communities.
Program offerings include:
- Rippleffect Outdoor Leadership
Education (ROLE): A multi-week grant funded after-school program that
culminates in a wilderness adventure in the White Mountains or Casco Bay. - Cow Island Environmental
Leadership Program (CELP): A four-week overnight program that
focuses on environmental education, recreation and community service. - Rippleffect Treks: Four
seasons of high adventure wilderness trips throughout the mountains and
bays of the Northeast. - Aucocisco Day Camps: Week-long
summer programs for young adventurers who will explore Cow Island and
learn the fundamentals of sea kayaking. - Classic Cow Camps: Week-long
overnight summer programs based out of Cow Island with expeditions to
neighboring islands. - School and Community Programs: Year-round
customized programs based on community and team building, environmental
education, anti-bullying work, and outdoor leadership.
Rippleffect
was founded in 1999 by Ted Regan and Aaron Fredrick after the completion of
their sea kayak expedition from Lubec, Maine to Key West, Fla. The journey
inspired the creation of an organization that would provide Maine young people
with opportunities to explore Casco Bay and the wilderness of the Northeast
through adventure and environmental education. This vision led to
RippleffectÛªs purchase of Cow Island in 2001 with the critical support of
the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. At the BoardÛªs direction, the current
Executive Director Anna Maria Klein Christie and Rippleffect program staff have
continued this journey by creating a comprehensive program that now serves more
than 3,500 local youth and adults year round.
Rippleffect provides four
seasons of community impact through wilderness and experiential education.
Also, Christie said, ÛÏthanks to the tremendous community support of
organizations like TD Bank, scholarships are available to Maine children in
need.Û
Rippleffect employs more than 40 seasonal
staff each year, each with expertise in leadership training, experiential
education and adventure recreation. All of its guide staff are, at minimum,
Wilderness First Aid certified and trained sea kayak guides. For more
information, visit www.rippleffect.net.
“On
behalf of the TD Beach to Beacon Board and Organizing Committee, we
congratulate Rippleffect on being chosen the 2014 race beneficiary,Û
said Michael Stone, the newly appointed race president.
ÛÏRippleffect is making a significant impact connecting young people
in Maine to the natural world around them, supporting diversity and promoting a
healthy mind, body and spirit. ItÛªs a vision that we share and we look
forward to highlighting RippleffectÛªs efforts.Û
This
year marks the 17th running of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K (www.beach2beacon.org), set for Saturday,
Aug. 2 in Cape Elizabeth. TD Bank, AmericaÛªs Most Convenient Bank®,
is the title sponsor of the race founded in 1998 by Joan Benoit Samuelson, the
1984 Olympic gold medalist from Cape Elizabeth and MaineÛªs most
recognized athlete.
The TD Beach to
Beacon 10K is one of the most popular events on the U.S. road race circuit,
drawing runners from throughout the region and around the world to the
picturesque coastal community of Cape Elizabeth. The race begins near the
Crescent Beach entrance on Route 77, winds along tree-lined roads and past breathtaking
ocean vistas, and ends in Fort Williams Park at the historic Portland Head
Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.
In
2013, a record-setting 6,244 runners from 16
countries, 39 states and more than 250 Maine cities and towns finished the
scenic 6.2-mile course. Thousands of spectators cheered running along the route
and at the finish, and more than 800 volunteers helped ensure a smooth
operation.
Online
registration for the popular race, which traditionally closes within minutes,
will take place in mid-March. Specific registration information will be
released soon.
In
addition to TD Bank, other major corporate partners include Hannaford, Nike,
Poland Spring, Fairchild Semiconductor, IDEXX, Northeast Delta Dental,
MaineHealth and WCSH6. For additional information about the race, visit www.beach2beacon.org, call the race
hotline at (888) 480-6940 or find the race on Facebook and Twitter.
About
the TD Charitable Foundation
The
TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A., which
operates as TD Bank, AmericaÛªs Most Convenient Bank®, and
is one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States.
The Foundation’s mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses
in all the communities where TD Bank operates, having made $116.0 million in
charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The FoundationÛªs areas
of focus are affordable housing, financial literacy and education, and the
environment. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an
online grant application, is available at www.TDBank.com.
About TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®
TD
Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the
U.S., providing more than 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small
business and commercial banking products and services at approximately 1,300
convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the
Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer
customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth®,
and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance.
TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.
TD
Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a
subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial
services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New
York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol “TD.” To
learn more, visit www.td.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.