The Drive for Charity is an initiative where the toll proceeds from a single day on the Greenway …are distributed to charitable organizations that benefit Loudoun County!

Since the toll road opened in 1996, Toll Road Investors Partnership II, L.P. (TRIP II), owners of the Dulles Greenway, has had a long-standing commitment to the community's welfare.

From the beginning, TRIP II provided funding for local youth sports teams, elementary school fundraisers, and high school graduation events. But in 2006, TRIP II had a desire to expand its support of the community, and initiated the Drive For Charity Event…

These 6 charities share in the distribution of the Drive for Charity’s 1-day gross revenues:

• The March of Dimes (National Capital Area chapter).
• Loudoun County Special Olympics.
• Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter.
• FreshAir/Full Care, a charitable organization that provides funding for the benefit of children being served by Loudoun County’s Department of Social Services.
• Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.
• and the Dulles Greenway Citizenship Award.

These organizations were selected based on the valuable contribution they provide to the local community in the areas of community outreach, youth health & welfare, and the environment.

To ensure long-term funding, TRIP II chose to make a 3-year commitment to each organization selected. The proceeds from each year’s event have approached $200,000!

With Greenway ‘Drive for Charity’ funding…here’s how each organization benefited:

• The March of Dimes was able to make a commitment to INOVA Fairfax Hospital for funding a Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Family Support Initiative…the first in Virginia. The March of Dimes NICU Family Support Initiative was launched in 2001 to provide information & support to families during NICU hospitalization …and the transition back to home. This project maintains a part-time NICU Family Support Specialist interfacing with families & staff, a volunteer parent-professional action committee, a database of volunteers providing support & comfort, a Parent Care Kit for every NICU family, and such specific programs as Bereavement Support and support for non-English speaking NICU families.
• The Loudoun Chapter of Special Olympics was able to lease a storage locker in order to house equipment & uniforms for local athletes. A brochure which describes the local program--and solicits donations for the Loudoun County Special Olympics Chapter--was also printed.
• Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter (LAWS) was able to repair their facilities, as well as provide emergency medical care for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. LAWS provided 3,090 bed-nights of shelter, and answered 758 crisis calls on their 24-hour crisis line.
• FreshAir/Full Care, a charitable organization providing funding for the local Head-Start program, was able to secure a matching funds grant from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors…doubling their funding to provide summer camp opportunities for local at-risk youth. This funding will allow more than 50 local youths to have a safe & fun place to spend the summer.
• The Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy was able to initiate an internship program, as well as produce informational material. They printed a booklet to provide homeowners with a resource of native plants to use in rebuilding or augmenting their backyard habitats…as well as a coloring book for children about local species of plants & animals. Funds were also used in their annual local butterfly species count. Finally the group was able to partner with other local environmental groups to spearhead an Environmental Education Conference. This event, which will take place in the spring, will bring together local teachers & environmental organizations to identify & coordinate youth programs.
• The Dulles Greenway Citizenship Award & Scholarship was able to expand its program to ensure long-term funding. The Citizenship Award was established in 2000, awarding its first scholarship funds in the spring of 2001. Since that time more than 45 students have received scholarships for college. In 2008, the program will award $1,000 scholarships to 12 students from public high schools in Loudoun County.

2008 is the last year of the 3-year commitment that TRIP II has made to the current recipients of the Drive for Charity Day. The Greenway looks forward to working with new groups, starting in 2009.

In order to make the 2008 Drive for Charity Event the biggest fundraiser to date, TRIP II is offering patrons who can't ride the Dulles Greenway on May 15 an option of donating on-line.

 CLICK HERE TO DONATE