C&O Canal Trust Announces C&O Canal Giving Days During National Park Week April 21-29, 2018

The C&O Canal Trust will be holding its first-ever C&O Canal Giving Days April 21-29, 2018, coinciding with National Park Week. C&O Canal Giving Days is an opportunity for the community to make financial gifts to support the ongoing preservation and beautification of the C&O Canal National Historical Park.

The C&O Canal Trust is the Park’s official nonprofit fundraising partner and developed this week of giving as a way to focus the canal community’s attention on the need to ensure this valuable and beloved natural, cultural, and recreational resource will be around for future generations to enjoy. C&O Canal Giving Days will coincide with National Park Week, which celebrates America’s treasures nationwide.

“With a visitation of over 5 million each year, the C&O Canal has never been more loved,” said C&O Canal Trust President Robin Zanotti. “However, having more visitors creates the need for more resources. This can be tough in light of limited federal budgets. The Trust raises money to help meet the Park’s needs, and C&O Canal Giving Days is our way of encouraging others who love the Park to make a gift to support the Park.”

There are a variety of ways people can participate in C&O Canal Giving Days. Gifts can be made at www.canaltrust.org/give, or by texting GIVE2CANAL to 844-544-7171. Trust representatives will be accepting gifts at tables stationed at the Historic Great Falls Tavern, Carderock, and Anglers on Saturday, April 28. The Trust will also be celebrating this week on their social media accounts, www.Facebook.com/CanalFriends and Twitter @CanalTrust and encourages everyone to become a “Social Media Ambassador” by sharing these posts.

“We have been collecting “My Canal” stories from people who have had wonderful experiences in the Park and continue to treasure it. We are committed to making sure future generations will also be able to tell their own “My Canal” stories,” Zanotti said. “We are so fortunate to have a national park in our backyards, but we have to continue to invest in its historic structures, towpath, and trails. We hope many people will join us with a gift during C&O Canal Giving Days – gifts of any size can make a difference.”