Our mission seems very simple – protect and preserve the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed.
Originally we pursued this mission through assisting with land acquisition and funding. But that has slowly transitioned over time to teaching people about the importance of preserving and protecting our most valuable natural resource – water – through protecting the watershed.
We do not host a lot of fundraisers, and we are extremely transparent as an organization. Our members and donors contributed 41% of our funding in 2017. And for each dollar the CREW Trust spends, 88 cents of that dollar goes towards our programming, 8 cents is spent on fundraising, and only 4 cents is spent on administration.
Because we focus so much on providing quality environmental education programs, and many of those are free, your donation has a huge impact. Today, on #givingtuesday, we are so very thankful for the support our members and donors have given us over the years and the commitment you have to helping provide environmental education to the residents, students and visitors in Southwest Florida.
If you would like to donate to the CREW Trust on #givingtuesday, we have several options:
You can make a donation through our website and designate it as a general donation OR as a donation to the Dr. David R. Cooper Education Fund.
You can become a member of the CREW Trust and receive discounted tickets for our seasonal education programs and invitations to members-only events.
Whether you choose to give today, on #givingtuesday, or at a later date – or are previous donor and supporter – please know that your support has a significant impact, and we appreciate you and your contributions.
On Friday, October 26, 22 teams of golfers teed off to raise funds for the CREW Trust’s environmental education programs.
Thanks to the support of the golfers and our sponsors, the 2018 CREW Stanley Hole Golf Tournament raised $16,000. The proceeds will go towards purchasing supplies for our k-12 field trips, providing stipends for the leaders of our adults-only Strolling Science Seminars and so much more.
The success of this fundraiser year after year is due in part to the tremendous support we receive from area golf course superintendents and our generous sponsors. Thank you again to our sponsors and participants, and we look forward to seeing you next year!
Brenda Brooks, executive director of CREW Land & Water Trust, with Kim Ruiz, CREW Trust Board of Trustees member and presenting sponsor of the 2018 CREW Concert.
Our concert is our biggest fundraiser each year and this year we hope is no exception. Proceeds help fund the CREW Trust’s environmental education programs but this year we’re changing things up a bit and all proceeds will go towards the Dr. David R. Cooper Education Fund.
Most of our sponsors have been supporting this event for years and we couldn’t have such a successful event without their support.
Sponsors enjoy special perks, including tickets to the VIP Cafe at the concert. This special area, exclusively for VIP ticket holders and their guests, offers table seating close to the stage at Riverside Park and a fully catered meal from Niko’s Kitchen.
For most of our sponsors, though, sponsoring this event is about so much more than great food and the atmosphere of the VIP Cafe.
“I originally sponsored the CREW concert to give back to the place where I first learned Southwest Florida wildflowers,” explained Kim Ruiz, CREW Trust member, Trustee, volunteer and member of the concert committee. In 2018, Kim’s company, EcoPlanz Inc, was the presenting sponsor for the CREW Concert. “I continue sponsoring to support the expanding educational programs so people of all ages can be immersed in the wonders of water, land, and wildlife.”
Brian Farrar, Vice-Chairman of the CREW Trust Board of Trustees, President of BCF Management Group, CREW Trust member and concert committee member, has also been a sponsor for many years. “Being a CREW Concert sponsor has afforded my wife and I the opportunity to give back to our Southwest Florida community in what we believe is one of the most important ways: educating our future leaders on the importance of water resources and environmental preservation. If we don’t explain this need and delicate balance, our wonderful way of life will be gone before we know it.”
If you are looking for a way to support the concert and help us build the Dr. David R. Cooper Education Fund, please consider becoming a concert sponsor and enjoy the event as a VIP! Download a 2019 CREW Concert Sponsor Flyer or email brenda@crewtrust.org for more information on becoming a sponsor.
Rattlesnakes, bobcats, alligators and bears don’t golf – but humans do!
Join one of our wildlife-named teams and hit the links to support the CREW Trust on Friday, October 26, 2018.
This fun, scramble-format tournament takes place at Old Corkscrew Golf Club and attracts local golf superintendents, businesses and friends of the CREW Trust. It is our fastest growing fundraiser and last year raised $16,000.
Visit our Golf Tournament page for information on how to register and, if you don’t golf, how to be a sponsor.
For a gallery of recap of last year’s event, and a list of sponsors, please click HERE.
We’re counting down to the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction on Saturday, April 24 at 5 p.m. at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs. Today is our last pre-concert post – we hope to see you there!
Ready to dance? Eat? Drink? Buy all the Silent Eco-Auction items?
Before you go to our concert on Saturday, we have just a few things we think you should know. Check them out- and we look forward to seeing you at the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction!
1- Tickets
The easiest and cheapest way to get your tickets to the CREW Concert is online through eventbrite. If you buy your tickets in advance, they are $15; if you wait and buy them at the gate, they are $20. That’s five dollars you could save for a cupcake (more on those tasty little treats later)! Here is a little secret – the tickets will be available for purchase online until 4 p.m. on Saturday, so if you decide last-minute to come, you still have time to save money and buy your tickets online!
2- What to bring (and what to leave at home)
Things you can bring: children (ages 12 and under get in free), cash and credit cards (for food/drink sales) and folding chairs.
Things you can’t bring: coolers and dogs.
Service animals are always welcome within reason – we’d hate to disappoint you and turn away your service brontosaurus due to lack of available space.
3- Where is the concert, and when does it start?
The 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction will be held at Riverside Park, located at 10451 Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs.
Schedule:
5 p.m. Gates Open
5:30 p.m. Silent Auction Opens
5:30 p.m. Welcome
5:40 p.m. High Voltage Band performs
8:15 p.m. Silent Auction Closes
8:30-9:15 p.m. Pick-up and Pay for Silent Auction Items
9:00 p.m. Concert Ends
4 – Food and Beverages
The Rotary Club of Bonita Springs returns this year and will serve wine and craft beer from Momentum Brewhouse. Our food vendors include Red Roc Cravings, Radical Rations and Cherie’s Sweet Treats. Please bring cash for all food and drink, as we are unsure which vendors will accept credit cards.
5 – CREW Gear Sales
Our 2018 CREW Concert Commemorative T-Shirts will be available for sale as soon as the gates open at 5 p.m. There are a very limited amount of shirts available, and once they’re gone, they’re gone! Shirts are $20.
We’ll also have CREW Trust water bottles, pins, hiking sticks, field guides and medallions for sale at our CREW Gear Sales table. All purchases can be paid for with cash or credit card.
How does the silent auction work? Walk through and check out the items and experiences offered. Write your name, phone number and amount you are bidding on the bid sheet. Check back often to see if you have been outbid, and bid as often as you would like! If you want to make sure you get an item, you can purchase it for the Buy It Now price. The auction closes promptly at 8: 15 p.m. Winners will be listed on the large sign near the entrance to the Silent Auction, and items won can be paid for and picked up from 8:30-9:15 p.m.
7- Parking
Volunteers will be directing guests to available parking spaces. A limited amount of handicap parking spaces will be available. Please watch for parking volunteers wearing bright green shirts. Parking for this event is free.
8- VIP Cafe
The VIP Cafe is a private area for VIP ticket holders with table seating and food. It is not accessible by anyone who is not wearing a VIP wristband. VIP Cafe tickets sold out several weeks ago and are no longer available.
9- Proceeds
CREW Land & Water Trust is a non-profit that provides environmental education for all ages on lands within the 60,000 acre CREW project. All funds raised at the concert support our environmental education programs.
We’re counting down to our biggest night of the year – the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 5-9 p.m. at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs.
A large part of what makes our biggest fundraiser of the year so successful is our sponsors. Many of them sponsor the concert each year and we can’t thank them enough.
The presenting sponsor for the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco- Auction is Kim Ruiz, owner of EcoPlanz, Inc.
This is the fifth year Kim has supported the CREW Trust through a concert sponsorship and becoming a major sponsor has always been her goal. “I started out in 2013 with a small donation,” Kim explained. “Now EcoPlanz is established well-enough for me to increase my sponsorship this year.”
Kim recently joined the CREW Trust Board of Trustees, extending her connection to the CREW Trust. “From the time I learned about the CREW Trust, I knew I wanted to support the efforts to educate people and encourage people to enjoy the splendors of the trail systems,” she said. “I spend time on the CREW Trails to rejuvenate my spirit. Since this area gives me so much joy, I like to give back and spread the word to ‘Connect with CREW.'”
The 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction is Saturday, Feb. 24, 5-9 p.m. at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the gate; children 12 and under are free. To purchase tickets in advance, visit eventbrite.com.
We’re counting down to our biggest night of the year – the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 5-9 p.m. at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs.
The High Voltage Band is the featured performer at this year’s concert
Are you ready to move and grove with CREW?
We are so excited for this year’s featured performers, High Voltage Band. They’ve played for a wide range of audiences, including the NFL Players Association, Panasonic, the Boston Red Sox, the D’Brickashaw Ferguson Foundation and Hope for Haiti. They promise to “Electrify” our event!
Planning an event like this takes a lot of time for our staff and volunteers, and many a dance break has been taken over the last few months while playing High Voltage Band’s youtube channel.
2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction
Saturday, February 24, 2018
5-9 p.m.
Riverside Park, 10451 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs
Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the gate; children 12 and under free.
Update: Miss the pre-sale? You can still submit an order and pay for your shirt! We will reserve your shirt in your requested size and you can pick it up at the concert. Available while supplies last.
This year will be the first year for CREW Concert T-shirts!
We noticed last year that there was a demand for our leftover concert volunteer shirts – thank you to everyone who eagerly purchased them!
And while we do appreciate that extra support, we felt a little bit sad that we didn’t have a fun concert shirt in a non-safety-color availalbe for our concert-goers to purchase.
We’re kicking off a series of commemorative concert t-shirts, and for 2018, our t-shirt mascot is a rockin’ bear!
T-shirts are available in unisex size small, medium, large, XL and 2XL. They will be for sale at the concert for $20 in very limited quantities.
Due to the likelihood that the shirts will sell out, we are offering a pre-sale opportunity through February 2, 2018. Please use one of the forms below and email your order to Anne (anne@crewtrus.mystagingwebsite.com). Pre-ordered shirts will be picked up at the concert or you can email Anne to make other arrangements.
