Dear Friends,
The Iowa Sierra Club is pleased to announce that our Annual State Dinner and Awards Ceremony will take place in Iowa City this year, Saturday, Oct. 12th, at the Wesley Center Foundation, 120 N. Dubuque, at 6 pm. We are highlighting local and organic produce in both the dinner menu and in our choice of keynote speaker Ronnie Cummins who, as National Director of the Organic Consumers Association, will bring us insights and inspiration about the state of sustainable farming in America. Details of the dinner, brought to you by some of Iowa Cityšs most highly acclaimed chefs, can be found in the enclosed announcement. Please mark your calendars!
The Iowa Sierra Club has made great strides in the past year in our campaigns to protect Iowašs environment. This is in large part due to the very capable hands and optimistic spirit of our new director, Erin Jordahl. Her lobbying efforts have paid off, most notably, in a new bill that makes progress in reducing the harmful impacts of large hog confinement operations in Iowa. Without Erinšs steadfast persistence this bill would have suffered tragic compromises.
Unfortunately, the funds we receive from membership fees are not adequate and many of our plans for growth and action have had to wait for lack of funds. In order to ensure that the Iowa Sierra Club continues to stand as a watch guard and guiding force for the protection of Iowašs air, water, natural areas and resources, we need to raise money, and you can help.
The upcoming dinner and awards ceremony offers a perfect opportunity to make a contribution to Iowašs Sierra Club. Consider one or more of the following methods to show your support:
1. Show your community and our state that you care for the environment by making a donation to the Iowa Sierra Club at this time. Your support will be announced at our upcoming dinner.
2. Contribute to the Silent Auction. The enclosed announcement provides details on how the silent auction works and what kind of items you might consider donating. We invite creativity for this fun process. Auction items will be displayed with donoršs name & contact information.
3. Buy your tickets now, or better yet, please consider purchasing the tickets for a table (of eight - $240.00) and offering the dinner tickets to employees of your business or local students.
With your support we will continue to expand our efforts. Iowa is facing many environmental threats and we canšt sit back at this time and hope they will go away. Here is a short list of some of the campaigns that we are working on:
Supporting sustainable agriculture
Reducing the negative air, water, and social impacts of concentrated animal feeding operations
Improving water quality by reducing farm and urban runoff
Curbing urban sprawl
Restoring the natural ecosystems of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers
Improving Iowašs air quality. Working to reduce the toxic emissions of coal-fired power plants, and urging utilities and decision makers to develop renewable sources of energy
You can see from the above list that our work is cut out for us. Please take a moment and think about how you can help us. We have over 7000 members in Iowa and many devoted activists. Your donations will return to you in the form of cleaner air, water and protection of Iowa's natural resources and environment. Thank you for your support!
Jack Eastman and Ericka Dana
Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club
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Contact Info:
Jim Redmond, Silent Auction Chair (donations and auction web site contact)
(712) 258-8303 <[log in to unmask]>
Ericka Dana, Dinner Co-Chair (volunteers coordinator and donations contact)
Catnip Farm, 2702 B Ave., Guernsey, IA 52221
(319) 685-4270 <[log in to unmask]>
Jack Eastman, Dinner Co-Chair (ticket sales)
Leopold Group
P.O. Box 1192
Fairfield, IA 52556
(641) 469-5760 <[log in to unmask]>
Erin Jordahl, Director (general information, donations contact)
Sierrra Club Iowa Chapter Office
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280, Des Moines, IA 50310
(515) 277-8868 <[log in to unmask]>
For further information go to:
http://iowa.sierraclub.org/2002awdinner.html ( Annual Dinner & Silent Auction)
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