MEADVILLE —
Allegheny College’s nonprofit Creek Connections program is getting a new van thanks to people voting via the Internet.
Creek Connections was one of 500 nationwide finalists in Toyota USA’s “100 Cars for Good” program, through which the automaker, by open-to-the-public vote, is giving 100 cars to 100 nonprofit organizations nationwide over the course of 100 days.
Voting for Creek Connections and four other nonprofits from around the country that were competing for a vehicle closed Friday at midnight. Creek Connections came up with 35 percent of the vote among the five agencies.
“It’s huge for us,” Wendy Kedzierski, project manager for Creek Connections, said of winning a new van.
Creek Connections provides hands-on learning about the region’s waterways through hundreds of area school visits each year and annually reaches more than 6,000 students. It works with schools not only in Crawford County, but from southwestern New York down through western Pennsylvania to the Pittsburgh area.
Staff meet with the students to do water quality monitoring at their stream site as well as biological monitoring. Biological monitoring involves the students getting in their creek with nets to collect aquatic insects and other creatures. Additionally, the vehicle will be used to get watershed education loaner modules out to educators. The modules are on 16 different environmental and creek related topics.
All of it is done at no cost to teachers and schools,
Creek Connections had a 2000 Toyota van it purchased new, Kedzierski said. However, the van was in an accident last year and was written off as a total loss because of its age. It meant persons involved in Creek Connections had to use their own vehicles to travel, she said.
“We’re thankful for all the support in the community,” said Kedzierski who learned of the win by midday Saturday. “In addition to the car, it (the publicity received about voting) raised awareness about us in the community.
Allison Palmiero Brady, president of Palmiero Toyota of Meadville, said she, too, is pleased.
“It’s a great organization,” she said of Creek Connections Saturday afternoon. “We were all pretty active Facebook people this (Saturday) morning, checking to see if they’d won.”
Palmiero Bradywas notified by Toyota officials on Saturday afternoon that Creek Connections was declared the winner.
The delivery date of the new van was unknown Saturday, but Palmiero Brady said she hoped to learn this week when it will happen.
Keith Gushard can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.
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Creek Connections wins new van
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