VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Pedal the Piedmont region of the Carolinas with the 2016 STIHL Tour des Trees to benefit the TREE Fund. Join the Tour Oct. 9–15 for a week of unforgettable scenery, cycling and tree education in the Tar Heel and Palmetto States, starting and ending in Charlotte, N.C. Tour riders visit dozens of communities along their route, planting trees in cities and parks, educating children and adults on why we need trees to survive and thrive, and engaging with local tree stewards about the importance of continued research to support science-based tree care.
Organizers for the 2016 STIHL Tour des Trees, the largest community engagement and fundraising event for the TREE Fund, anticipate raising more than $325,000 for tree research and education programs aimed at connecting young people with the environment and career opportunities in the green industries. Since 2002, TREE Fund has issued nearly $3 million in research, scholarship and education grants for urban forestry and arboriculture researchers, as well as student and community education programs. On-going research provides communities and tree care professionals proven strategies on how to better propagate, plant and care for trees, creating a more resilient and healthier urban canopy.
“As a sponsor of STIHL Tour des Trees, we believe in the TREE Fund’s mission of keeping trees healthy through research and education,” said Roger Phelps, corporate communications manager for STIHL Inc. “The riders and supporters of this fundraiser have a contagious enthusiasm for trees that gives us confidence today’s children will become tomorrow’s advocates.”
The 2016 Tour rolls out of Charlotte on Oct. 9 and travels 561 scenic miles through North and South Carolina, returning to Charlotte for a victory lap through the city on Oct.15. Overnight stops include Mount Airy, Greensboro, Raleigh, Southern Pines, Camden and Charlotte. The event has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Travel + Leisure, American Airlines’ in-flight magazine, The Huffington Post and CNN.
Registration for the full Tour (seven days) is limited to 100 cyclists and closes May 31 or when the roster reaches capacity. Each full-Tour cyclist commits to raising $3,500 for the TREE Fund. The $100 registration fee covers lodging and meals for the week, a custom apparel kit and full mechanical support. A partial Tour registration option with a prorated fundraising requirement is also available.
Photos and videos from previous Tours are available at stihltourdestrees.org/photos-videos/. Learn more at stihltourdestrees.org.
2016 TREE Fund Sponsors include: STIHL Inc.; Bartlett Tree Experts; Davey Tree Expert Company; International Society of Arboriculture (ISA); ARBORjet; Asplundh Tree Expert Co.; ISA Southern Chapter; Tree Care Industry Association; KASK Helmets; Tree Services; Arbor Age; Arizona Public Service; National Grid; PacifiCorp; ISA Texas; West Coast Arborists Inc.; SavATree; Utility Arborist Association; Lentzcaping Inc.; Gamma Tree Experts; Bandit Industries; Morbark; Trees, Inc.; Lewis Tree Service; National Association of Landscape Professionals; Workshop Creative Group; Wheel & Sprocket; Unitil; Ford Motor Company; Forestry Equipment of Virginia;; Norscot; Vermeer; and Wright Tree Service, Inc.