Photo by Butcher Snaps Media.
On Thursday, November 15, we held our annual Member and Volunteer Appreciation Party at the Patagonia store in Ventura. Volunteers and supporters were recognized for their crucial efforts to help us better protect the Los Padres National Forest and other public lands during 2018!
Over 70 people joined us for this yearly celebration. They were treated to delicious beer from Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., wine from Solminer Wine Co., and food by Chef Jake O. Francis and the Valley Piggery. Attendees were also treated to a discount on items throughout the store.
The highlight of the evening was the much-anticipated award ceremony. Each year we give out special awards to stellar volunteers and supporters.
Drake Abbey is presented with the “Biggest Little Steward Award” for 2018. Photo by Butcher Snaps Media.
Our Conservation Director, Bryant Baker, presented awards to individual volunteers who really stood out in 2018. Barry Remis was given the “1,000 Pints Poured Award” for his years of service helping manage the beer and wine teams at our fundraising events. Helena Boelcke was presented the “O.U.C.H. (Only the Ultimate Can Handle) Award” for her battle with a piece of broken glass in Santa Paula Canyon (she won, but it was a tough fight). Two-and-a-half-year-old Drake Abbey was recognized as our “Biggest Little Steward” of 2018 for his work at the Upper Sespe Cleanup in the spring. He even received a new Patagonia hat as part of the award! Theresa Latino was given the “Most Miles Driven Award” for coming to several cleanups all the way from Huntington Beach. And Jakub Dolezal was presented with this year’s “Most Hours Given Award” for helping out with several projects this fall.
Thank you, Patagonia, for your continued support of our efforts to protect public lands along the Central Coast! Photo by Butcher Snaps Media.
ForestWatch’s Executive Director, Jeff Kuyper, presented one of our most prestigious awards to Melissa Castaneda, assistant manager of Patagonia’s Great Pacific Iron Works store in Ventura: the “Best Store in the Whole Wide World Award.” The store was one of ForestWatch’s earliest grantors and has helped us with events and projects for over a decade. They even presented ForestWatch with a $18,200 grant for our 2019 conservation efforts.
We really can’t express our gratitude for all of our amazing volunteers and supporters enough. They have made our work and successes possible, and we are so thankful to get to work with them throughout the year.
Thanks to everyone who came out to this year’s Appreciation Party. Check out more photos from the event in the slideshow below, courtesy of Butcher Snaps Media:
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