Starting Giving Tuesday The National Park Foundation Celebrates Its 45th Anniversary With "45 Days Of Giving" at www.nationalparks.org/Give45

Campaign To Raise $450,000 In Critical Support for the National Parks This Holiday Season

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This Giving Tuesday, the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, launched "45 Days of Giving," an online campaign dedicated to raising $450,000 in vital aid for the national parks this holiday season. The campaign, hosted at www.nationalparks.org/Give45, marks the Foundation's 45^th year of providing direct support to America's national parks.  Funds raised from the campaign will fulfill the Foundation's mission to help protect fragile ecosystems and historic sites, to provide valuable learning experiences for our youth, and to preserve the diverse heritage of this great nation. 

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090630/DC40408LOGO)

On December 18th, 1967 the United States Congress made an historic move by establishing the National Park Foundation as the only national charity directly supporting the parks and as the official nonprofit partner to the National Park Service.  Since then, America's park system has grown and so too has the role of the National Park Foundation.  Today, the Foundation offers direct support to the 398 national parks spanning the country, encompassing more than 84 million acres of iconic landscapes, historic treasures and cultural shrines.

"From the Grand Canyon to Gettysburg, for 45 years the National Park Foundation has proudly worked to support our country's national parks," said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation.  "Today, we continue to honor that great legacy while recognizing that funding for these American treasures has never been more important as the national parks face daunting new challenges from a changing climate to shrinking budgets."

The work of the National Park Foundation has a broad history including acquiring new park lands, recovering valuable artifacts, pioneering programs that create the next generation of scientists and scholars, building and advancing local park charities, restoring America's iconic symbols such as the Washington Monument and raising vital funds for parks devastated by fires, floods and even oil spills.  The Foundation has a longstanding history of helping our national parks in the times and the ways they need it most. 

Today, the National Park Foundation is: 

• Raising more than $30M to build the Flight 93 National Memorial. 
• Bringing more than 30,000 students to national parks this year through its "Ticket to Ride" program.
• Honoring this nation's multicultural history and engaging all Americans through the American Latino Heritage Fund and the African American Experience Fund
• Restoring and improving 250 miles of waterways and trails, connecting parks to communities and promoting healthy lifestyles through the Active Trails program.

On this 45^th anniversary, the National Park Foundation invites you to be a part of a great American legacy.  Join the dedicated group of individuals who work to protect, support and safeguard these treasured places and the story of this nation.  Support the "45 Days of Giving" campaign today by visiting www.nationalparks.org/Give45.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
You are the owner of 84 million acres of the world's most treasured memorials, landscapes, ecosystems, and historic sites -- all protected in America's nearly 400 national parks.  Chartered by Congress, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks.  We work hand in hand with the National Park Service to connect you and all Americans to the parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the generations who will follow.  Join us in supporting your national parks -- this is your land.  www.nationalparks.org.

Media contact: Marjorie Hall, [email protected], 202.354.6480

SOURCE National Park Foundation