The Cody Rivers Benefit Fundraiser at the MBT on Sunday was a HUGE success! If you weren’t able to join us, check out the pictures online that the Bellingham Herald took: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/491/gallery/1260339.html#http://media.bellinghamherald.com/smedia/2010/01/24/18/CLO_CODY_RIVERS_03.standalone.prod_affiliate.39.JPG

 We sold nearly 1000 tickets and after rental expenses, we raised $8,939.93!

 A BIG thank you to Andrew Connor and Mike Mathieu (aka Cody Rivers) for donating their time and performance to help us raise money. Also a HUGE round of applause for 8th grade Kulshan Middle School student and singer/songwriter Mikaela Seegers for her opening performance. Incredible! Mikaela is also holding her own benefit concert on Thursday, February 11 @ Kulshan Middle School at 7pm. Tickets are $5 and all proceeds go toward Conservation Camp!

 Nearly 700 kayak raffle tickets were sold – bringing in an additional $3,500 to those schools who sold them – awesome!

 Applebee’s Dining to Donate – no word on the amount of money this generated, but we should hear from them soon.

We made our first deposit to the newly created Conservation Site savings account yesterday – about $8000! When we add the money from the MBT and an additional $3200 that has been promised with matching funds from BP and Getty Images our fundraising total is nearly $20,000 in just one month!

 For those of you not at the MBT performance on Sunday, we received a donation of $8,200 to honor the legacy of Sid Hammond. He was instrumental in setting up the trail system and cabins at the Gordon Carter Environment Education Site when the school district acquired the property in 1954. Mr. Hammond passed away in November of last year, and his family presented us with their donation to help keep the program alive for years to come. Thank you Hammond family.

 Other donors include:

$1000 – Whidbey Island Bank

$1000 – Sanitary Service Company (value of porta potties that they have donated)

$100 – Favinger Plumbing

$50 – Visitors Guide Publications

Misc checks ranging from $5-$100 from various individuals

Change from children’s piggy banks in various amounts