A lot of support

The staff of the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute wants to say "thank you!" We held our annual Member's Appreciation BBQ and Fundraising Auction on Sept. 20 and raised a record-breaking $22,000.

This event could not be held without the support of the community. Fort Davis State Bank sponsored the barbecue, 59 businesses and individuals contributed auction items, Desert Eagle Distributing and Coca-Cola provided drinks and 40 volunteers cooked, set up tents, tables and chairs, served food, washed dishes, helped with the auction and contributed in innumerable other ways.

More than 200 members and guests attended the event and got quite competitive with their bidding. We especially want to thank Martin Stringer who served as our auctioneer.

The money raised during the auction will support the programs of the CDRI. For 34 years, the CDRI has been promoting research and education in the Chihuahuan Desert region. We believe that the best way to protect something is to understand it.

We use nature's classroom to help both children and adults learn about the land and discover why the Chihuahuan Desert is so special. "Why?" is our favorite question. "I didn't know that!" our favorite response. We're working to protect the desert - one mind at a time.

As a nonprofit organization, we could not provide programs to schoolchildren, scholarships to college students or run the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center & Botanical Gardens without the help and support of the community. For a list of all those who made our recent event such a success, visit our website at www.cdri.org.