See all the vendors, demos and eco-friendly goods for sale at this years Summit for the Planet!

Top 10 finishers
You’re fast and you love to run: top 10 finishers receive a prize. Be safe on the course, however; this is not a race.

Top pledge getter-each organization
Thank you to all the nonprofits that joined the walk-a-thon this year! One top pledge-getter from each organization will be awarded.

To participate, all you need to do is fill out the entry form then get to work designing and assembling your beautiful fashions!

Contact: Leigh Ann Clifton, Marketing & Communications   leighann.clifton@mountmadonna.org

Community Walk-a-thon and Earth Day Celebration Offers Family Fun and Help for Local Nonprofits

Whether you come to walk in support of your favorite nonprofit organization or for ensuing fun, the 7th annual Summit for the Planet Walk-a-thon and Earth Day Celebration offers something for all ages. The celebration will feature solar vehicle races, ‘eco-carnival’ games, live animals, community networking, ‘green’ businesses, live music, and delicious, organic foods!

Planned for Saturday, April 27 from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm (walk-a-thon registration begins at 9:00 am and the walk, promptly at 10:00 am), Summit for the Planet is a free fundraising event to support local environmental and educational organizations.

“It’s much better than selling cooking dough or wrapping paper,” comments Pamela Blunden, MMS event coordinator and alumni parent. “Organizations are able to retain a higher percentage of the money raised, and it’s good for the environment. This format allows people of all ages to spend time together outdoors in a beautiful natural setting, while also raising money for a cause that is important to them!”

For nonprofit groups, determining how to successfully meet annual fundraising goals can be difficult and time-consuming– and frequently not a lot of fun. With the dual intent of putting the “fun”back in “fundraising” and bringing together other local nonprofit organizations, Mount Madonna School (MMS) is again hosting this  annual community event – intended to make fundraising as easy as a walk in the park!

All nonprofits are invited to join in the Walk-a-thon. MMS will coordinate the event logistics, while participating groups each organize a team of walkers to walk for their organization, and their walkers, in turn, are urged to gather pledges of support.

Depending on the number of walkers and amount pledged to each walker, organizations will have the opportunity to cover a hefty portion of their annual fundraising needs – without the hassle and expense of running their own fundraiser! There is no charge for organizations to sign up and participate; and organizations keep 70% of what they raise in pledges, while 30% is used to offset the costs of organizing and running the event.

In talking with other schools and groups about fundraising, Blunden says she is repeatedly hearing how more and more families are steering away from having to participate in door-to-door sales. “With Summit for the Planet, walkers don’t have to go door to door! Instead they can utilize social media – or just make a phone call – to seek support from friends, family, or even grandma and grandpa on the East Coast. Pledging support is convenient and easy from any location via the Summit for the Planet website.”

Celebration participants will spotlight sustainable ‘eco-living’ and education, and represent a broad range of environmentally-focused businesses and nonprofits, from the Friends of the Sea Otter to Ceiba Charter to Sulphur Creek Nature Center, Silicon Valley Flex Academy, and the Bat Conservancy of Central California, Attendance at this annual event has grown to some 500 people of all ages, from across south Silicon Valley and the Monterey Bay areas.

The support of key sponsors is essential to this event. Event organizers are honored that numerous local businesses have offered support, including presenting sponsors, the Michael Lee Environmental Foundation and SunRidge Farms.

Things to know when you go:

7th annual Summit for the Planet Walk-a-thon and Earth Day Celebration, April 27 from 9:00am-1:30pm*. Hosted by Mount Madonna School, 491 Summit Road, Mount Madonna. Free event. For more information or to sponsor a walker, visit: SummitforthePlanet.org and on Facebook at facebook.com/summitfortheplanet, or email Pamela Blunden at Pamela.blunden@mountmadonna.org. 

*Walk-a-thon participants must pre-register; registration begins at 9:00am; the walk begins at 10:00am.

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NOTE: PHOTOS ATTACHED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE – Please credit ‘Photos by Maureen Pramanik”

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Nestled among the redwoods on 355 mountaintop acres, Mount Madonna is a safe and nurturing college-preparatory school that supports students in becoming caring, self-aware and articulate critical thinkers, who are prepared to meet challenges with perseverance, creativity and integrity. The CAIS and WASC accredited program emphasizes academic excellence, creative self-expression and positive character development. Located on Summit Road between Gilroy and Watsonville.

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Mount Madonna School is located on 355 acres of forested mountaintop property overlooking the Monterey Bay. Our core values include, Academic Excellence, Creative Self-Expression, Positive Character Development.

We are a community of learners. We support our students to become caring, self-aware and articulate critical thinkers, who are prepared to meet challenges with perseverance, creativity and integrity. We believe that a meaningful life is characterized by personal achievement and the ability to work effectively with others in service to society.

Please support our students achieve their fundraising goals by making a pledge to support the wonderful environmental programs and field trips that are so important to our community.

Visit Mount Madonna School’s Website for more information.

Pledge Now!

• Choose the participating organization you’d like to support then pledge to a registered walker

or

• Register to walk yourself!

Summit for the Planet is a community-wide fundraiser, any tax exempt organization is invited to participate, and everyone in the community is encouraged to participate!

Funds benefit the participating organizations, and the Summit Fund to support environmental education for youth in our community.

Native Animal Rescue (NAR) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife. We are a community of expert rehabilitators trained to diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, and release wild animals back to the wild in accordance with Department of Fish and Game standards.

We work closely with veterinarians and wildlife management professionals to medically treat and rehabilitate injured, sick, orphaned and oiled wildlife. The animal is then cared for until it can be released back into the wild. We strive to increase human understanding and respect for native wildlife and their habitats.

All donations we receive go directly to medicine, food and housing for incoming wildlife requiring rehabilitation.

Pledge Now!

Friends of the Sea Otter is the world’s oldest sea otter conservation organization working to protect sea otters and their habitat.

Friends of the Sea Otter (FSO), founded in 1968, is an advocacy group dedicated to actively working with state and federal agencies to maintain, increase and broaden the current protections for the sea otter, a species currently protected by state and federal laws and on the Endangered Species list. We wish to inspire the public at large about the otters’ unique behavior and habitat.

FSO’s mission is that we are committed to and advocate for the conservation of sea otters and the preservation of their habitat through education, research, and policy decisions that will ensure the long-term survival of this species. Our website is www.seaotters.org.

Pledge Now!

Sulphur Creek Nature Center is a wildlife education and rehabilitation facility whose mission is to promote the conservation of local environmental resources.

Sulphur Creek Nature Center is a wildlife education and rehabilitation facility whose mission is to promote the conservation of local environmental resources by fostering an appreciation and understanding of the animals in the world around us, and encouraging peaceful coexistence between people and native wildlife by serving as a community resource for wildlife issues.

The critters need your support! Please consider making a pledge today.

Pledge Now!