BASF Monarch Challenge sees another year of success
The BASF Living Acres Monarch Challenge has completed another successful year. In 2019, 20,000 milkweed seedlings were shipped across the Midwest to farmers and golf courses passionate about preserving monarch populations.
Milkweed is the essential plant for the monarch butterfly lifecycle and the sole food source for the monarch caterpillar. It has become less common over the years, which is why the BASF Monarch Challenge encourages the planting of milkweed in noncrop areas of farmland and out-of-play areas of golf courses.
The Monarch Challenge first spread its wings in 2016 as part of the BASF Living Acres biodiversity program. Since then, over 6,500 participants have signed up for the Monarch Challenge, and 65,500 milkweed plants have been established on farmlands and golf courses from Rhode Island to Idaho.
For more information, visit www.MonarchChallenge.com or follow #MonarchChallenge on social media.
CITGO continues tradition of collecting toys for area kids
LEMONT, Ill. -- The CITGO Lemont Refinery continued its annual tradition of collecting new toys for the Toys for Tots program. This year, approximately seven truckloads of toys were collected and brought to the Joliet U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Center for distribution.
Volunteers placed collection boxes throughout the refinery and encouraged employees and contractors to donate. Participation was high, and the bins spilled over with a variety of items, including electronic tablets, games, books, balls, movies, dolls and stuffed animals. All of the toys collected were distributed to less-fortunate children living in Will County.
"CITGO is not just another business, but rather a member of the community, which is why we are passionate about reaching out to our neighbors," said Dennis Willig, CITGO Lemont vice president and general manager.
For more information, visit www.citgolemont.com or call (800) 992-4846.
Entergy donates historic house to Town of Vernon nonprofit
VERNON, Vt. -- Entergy Corp. is donating the 18th-century Governor Hunt House to the Friends of Vernon Center (FVC), a nonprofit organization formed to revitalize the Town of Vernon.
"Vernon is delighted to receive from Entergy the donation of the Governor Hunt House, a prominent part of our town's history, as well as a great place to establish a community center. We hope the house will form one of the anchors of a new village center for Vernon, which the Friends of Vernon Center is working to create," said Friends of Vernon Center President Arthur Miller.
The donation includes two vacant lots adjacent to the building. The Friends of Vernon Center will own and operate the Governor Hunt House as a community center, on behalf of the Vernon community. This is part of the larger mission of FVC, which is to envision, plan and promote the establishment of a village center in the Town of Vernon for the benefit of the town's residents and visitors.
Entergy acquired the house in 2002, when Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee LLC purchased the adjacent Vermont Yankee plant from Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp.
For more information, visit www.entergy.com, www.vernoncenter.org or www.vernonvermont.org.
Dominion Energy donates $1.6MM to nonprofits meeting community needs
RICHMOND, Va. -- Through its charitable foundation, Dominion Energy recently awarded grants to more than 200 nonprofit organizations in 13 states to help feed, house and care for people in need. Totaling $1.6 million, the grants will support essential human services. This is the fifth year the company has awarded more than $1 million to meet critical community needs.
"We are pleased to support our nonprofit partners as they work to make positive impacts in our communities," said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. "These grants are intended to support the most basic needs: food, shelter and medical care for our neighbors in need."
For more information, visit www.dominionenergy.com or call (804) 771-6115.
