CONSERVANCY SUPPORTERS RECEIVE HONOR

Phoenix, Arizona—29 December 2004—Three friends of The Nature Conservancy recently received a Spirit of Philanthropy Award at the 2004 Philanthropy Leadership Awards sponsored by the Greater Arizona Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). The awards were presented as part of National Philanthropy Day.

This year marked the 20^th annual Philanthropy Leadership Awards Dinner, which pays homage to individuals and groups who, through their hard work and dedication, have enhanced philanthropy in our community.

The Nature Conservancy in Arizona nominated Doug Sydnor of Scottsdale and his sister, Becky Richards of Phoenix, and Laura Brown of Tucson.

Doug and Becky received the Spirit Award for their role in organizing Tracy’s Trek, a memorial hike for Becky’s daughter, Tracy Lynn Simpson. The hike honors Tracy, who died on December 2, 2002, in a tragic ski accident in Colorado at the age of 23.

“Tracy’s Trek is a way for her friends and family to remember Tracy’s caring and vibrant spirit and to celebrate her great love for nature,” said Sydnor. “The hikes thus far have raised more than $17,000 for The Nature Conservancy in Arizona”.

Laura Brown was nominated for her tireless work for The Nature Conservancy in Arizona. She is a member of the Conservancy’s statewide board of trustees and is a Vice-Chair of TNC’s Last Great Places Society, which is dedicated to protecting broad landscapes throughout Arizona.

“Her leadership and love of nature come together for the benefit of our land, our water and our way of life,” said Susan Waschler, director of philanthropy for the Conservancy in Arizona. “The spirit of philanthropy that she displays is evident in every arena of her life”.

National Philanthropy Day® (NPD), officially November 15 every year, was first celebrated in 1986 to recognize the tremendous contributions that philanthropy, and those involved in the philanthropic process, have made to communities all over the world. This special day acknowledges the diverse spectrum of services provided by the nonprofit sector.

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