26
THE DAVEY BULLETIN
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September/October 2018
Above: Davey President and CEO Pat Covey (right) presents
a $250,000 educational endowment to TREE Fund President and CEO
J. Eric Smith establishing the Davey Fund, a five-year endowment.
Bottom: Riders depart Kent, Ohio, during the 2018 Tour des Trees.
DAVEY ANNOUNCES $250,000 EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT
FOR TREE FUND DURING TOUR DES TREES
The 26th Annual Tour des Trees proved special in a number
of ways for Davey.
First, Davey President and CEO Pat Covey announced
a $250,000 educational endowment through the TREE
Fund. The tour is the fund's primary public outreach and
fundraising event. Davey's pledge of $250,000 over five
years will directly support scientific research on urban
tree care issues and community-based education.
"With the establishment of the Davey Fund, we strengthen
our long-time commitment to TREE Fund and its mission
to support arboricultural research," Covey said. "This
endowment fund is a reflection of our employee-owners'
dedication to continued education and the advancement
of arboriculture throughout our industry."
Second, the tour came to Ohio – bringing riders to Davey's
corporate headquarters for a large dinner gathering, where
Covey announced the donation. The tour coincided with
other stops and announcements from Davey. Riders
visited the historic Signal Tree in Akron, Ohio, an estimated
350-year-old bur oak tree, which Davey's Akron R/C office
has committed to donating care for the tree through 2022.
Tour riders collectively raised about $350,000 for tree
research, educational programs and arboricultural scholarships.
The tour traveled more than 580 miles between Cleveland
and Columbus, which hosted this year's International Society
of Arboriculture Annual Conference and Trade Show.
J. Eric Smith, president and CEO of the TREE Fund, called
this year's tour an immense success.
"The buzz from our riders about their amazing experience
is still palpable," Smith said. "We are all honored to
have been invited into your communities, united in
our shared commitment for our amazing urban and
community forests."
