Champions of the Charles

Champions of the Charles
Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 6pm: Going Virtual

Charles River Watershed Association cordially invites you to our 8th Annual Champions of the Charles Gala, a celebration of environmentalists, advocates, and supporters who have fought for the common goal of a fully restored, fully protected, healthy, resilient, Charles River Watershed. It will be a gala with a special twist; we are going virtual!

Get ready for a virtual experience that will bring you to the banks of the Charles River: learn what it is about the Charles River that people love and cherish, gain a better understanding of why CRWA’s work is so crucial in the fight to protect and preserve the Charles and its watershed communities, and become inspired about the opportunities to restore natural hydrology within the urban environment and promote environmental equity as we confront a changing climate.

We will splash into the evening with CRWA’s signature cocktail and professional mixologist, then transition into our virtual program complete with inspiring stories from CRWA members and partners, an update on CRWA’s innovative work, a surprise appearance by a VIP guest, and live entertainment by Boston’s local band, Moose & the Mops.

This year we are doing things a little differently: we have a Champion and a Keynote speaker. We are excited to honor Patagonia Boston and Cambridge as this year's Champion and facilitate a discussion on environmental injustice with keynote speaker Dr. Atyia Martin.

Funds raised through the Champions of the Charles Gala go directly to our River Science, Blue Cities, Climate Change, and Advocacy programming, while at the same time, supporting CRWA’s talented staff. The work of restoring the Charles River is far from over. The Charles needs us and we are in this together.

GALA HOST COMMITTEE

Co-Chairs
Ellen Whalley
Gordon Burnes and Suzie Tapson

Host Committee
Ralph and Ellen Abele
Gunnel Clarke and John DeVillars
Laurie and Christopher Doyle
Edward and Linda Englander
Becca Gould
Peter Fernandez and Eliza Grinnell
Diane and Steve Hall
James Healy and Colleen Kloster
Elizabeth Johnson
Virginia M. Lawrence
Nick King and Margaret Pantridge
Pat King and Tom Powers
Sharon Malt
Linda and Andy McLane
Judith Nitsch
Larry Yu and Melissa Nelson-Yu

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS

Individual Ticket

$500	1 virtual event ticket Copy of Exploring the Hidden Charles by Michael Tougias

platinum sponsorship

$25,000

Champagne Dinner for six and Dessert from Max Ultimate Food
6 virtual event tickets
Full Page (5” by 8”) advertisement in Champions of the Charles online program book
Company logo or Family name on promotional materials
Charles River Kayak Tour & Picnic

gold sponsorship

$15,000

Champagne Dinner for four and Dessert from Max Ultimate Food
5 virtual event tickets
Full Page (5” by 8”) advertisement in Champions of the Charles online program book
Company logo or Family name on promotional materials
Head of the Charles Walking Tour & Picnic

silver sponsorship

$10,000

Champagne Dinner for two from Max Ultimate Food
4 virtual event tickets
Half Page (5” by 4”) advertisement in Champions of the Charles online program book
Company logo or Family name on promotional materials
Corporate sponsors will receive recognition in October's River Current and three social media posts leading up to the event
Invasive Plant Cleanup opportunity on the Charles River

bronze sponsorship

$5,000

Hors D’oeuvres for four from Max Ultimate Food
3 virtual event tickets
Quarter Page (5” by 2”) advertisement in Champions of the Charles online program book
Company Logo or Family name on promotional materials
Corporate sponsors will receive recognition in October's River Current and two social media posts leading up to the event
Natural Valley Storage Area Nature Walk Tour

river sponsorship

$2,500

Hors D’oeuvres for two from MAX Ultimate Food
2 virtual event tickets
Listing in Champions of the Charles online program book
Company Logo or Family name on promotional materials
Corporate sponsors will receive recognition in October's River Current and one social media post leading up to the event

team sponsorship

$1,000

Dessert for two from MAX Ultimate Food
1 virtual event ticket
Listing in Champions of the Charles online program book
Company Logo or Family name on promotional materials

NonProfit and Volunteer Ticket

$250

1 virtual event ticket

One virtual event ticket is the equivalent to one link to view the virtual event on Zoom. Watch at home with family and friends!

Sponsor

Questions?

Audrey Wallace, Development Manager
awallace@crwa.org
(781) 788-0007 x222

Silent Auction Preview

Hydrow® is the state-of-the-art Live Outdoor Reality™ rower that is designed to bring the immersive and authentic experience of rowing on the river to your home. Row down some of the world's most iconic waterways (including the Charles River) in rhythm with Hydrow's world-class Athletes and get an efficient full-body workout like never before. Your crew is waiting for you.

Essential Vegan Desserts is an online course based on Fran Costigan’s popular Vegan Baking Boot Camp. This 90-day course focuses on essential techniques and recipes so you can create quality vegan desserts with confidence.

A weekend getaway for two at the Trapp Family Lodge. Situated on 2,500 acres in beautiful Stowe, Vermont, this unique mountain resort features Austrian-inspired architecture and European-style accommodations. The Lodge offers stunning mountain views, old-world comforts, and impeccable service, along with activities for every season.

Our 2020 Champion is Patagonia Boston and Cambridge, because they not only have been longtime generous financial supporters, but they have helped promote our work.

Since 2006, Patagonia has helped fund a handful of projects, including investigating the removal of Watertown Dam and invasive plant cleanups. Patagonia staff have volunteered for the Earth Day Cleanup.

Through their Patagonia Action Works platform, they have raised public awareness of our programs, advocated for change, and increased our giving through crowdfunding through matching gift campaigns. Patagonia has been a loyal Champion of the Charles.

Learn More

Our Keynote Speaker is Dr. Atyia Martin, and the theme of her remarks is, “How the Black Lives Matter Movement is vital for a cleaner Charles River.”

As the first Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Boston, Dr. Atyia Martin led the development and implementation of Boston's initial resilience strategy which was the first one in the 100 Resilient Cities network to make racial equity, social justice, and social cohesion the foundation of building resilience across the city. She engaged over 12,000 people across government, community, businesses, and nonprofits to develop Resilient Boston: An Equitable, Connected City. Smart Cities magazine selected Resilient Boston as the best resilience strategy of 2017 and the Center for American Progress featured it in its report A Framework for Local Action on Climate Change.

LEARN MORE