Answering the Alaska SeaLife Center’s urgent plea for support, GCI is stepping up with a $50,000 contribution, a weeklong fundraising campaign and a membership match blitz.
GCI and the Alaska SeaLife Center have set a lofty goal for the weeklong campaign, aiming for 500 new or renewed memberships. To help incentivize Alaskans to lend a helping hand, GCI will also give an Apple Watch to a new or returning Alaska SeaLife Center member chosen at random from all new or renewed memberships made from July 27 to Aug. 3.
“From coastal erosion to declining sea ice, Alaska is at the forefront of some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues,” said Martin Cary, Senior Vice President and General Manager of GCI Business. “Supporting organizations like the Alaska SeaLife Center is crucial to our continued learning and understanding of those issues and preservation of marine wildlife.”
Cary has served on the Alaska SeaLife Center board for eight years.
“GCI is proud to support Alaska-grown organizations like the Alaska SeaLife Center,” said Paul Landes, Senior Vice President and General Manager of GCI Consumer Services. “By leveraging our digital channels and messaging over the airwaves, we hope our support will inspire Alaskans to support an organization that’s been connecting Alaskans to unique educational opportunities for more than 20 years.”
Because of organizations like GCI and generous support from our fellow Alaskans during this difficult time, I’m confident we’ll be able to weather the storm and continue offering these opportunities for years to come.
Alaska SeaLife Center President Tara Riemer
Opened in 1998, the Alaska SeaLife Center is the only facility in Alaska that combines a public aquarium with marine research, education and wildlife response. The Center is also the state’s only permanent marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation facility.
“Our facility offers visitors a unique setting to have close encounters with puffins, octopus, harbor seals, Steller sea lions and other marine life while learning about the work our researchers conduct both in the field and in our laboratories,” said Tara Riemer, president and CEO of the Alaska SeaLife Center. “Because of organizations like GCI and generous support from our fellow Alaskans during this difficult time, I’m confident we’ll be able to weather the storm and continue offering these opportunities for years to come.”
GCI is one of Alaska’s leaders in corporate philanthropy, donating approximately $2 million each year in cash, products and connectivity to organizations across the state. GCI is committed to giving back to the communities it serves and provides employees with 16 hours of paid leave to volunteer with local organizations. In 2019, nearly 550 GCI employees volunteered more than 5,300 hours.