Formica Corporation and Xavier Men’s Basketball Plant 2,450 Trees

CINCINNATI (April 25, 2019) — For the fifth consecutive year, Formica Corporation has teamed up with the Arbor Day Foundation and the men’s basketball team at Xavier University to plant more than 2,000 trees in recognition of Arbor Day (April 26, 2019). 

As part of the Threes for Trees campaign, Formica Corporation agreed to plant 10 trees for every three-point basket made by the Musketeers during the 2018-2019 season. Xavier made 245 three pointers this season, resulting in 2,450 trees being planted in Georgia’s Upper Altamaha Watershed. In five years of this partnership, 12,750 trees have been planted on behalf of the Threes for Trees program.

“What I love about this campaign is that you can watch every game and think that’s 50, 60, 70 more trees planted, but when you step back after five years and see the number 12,750, it really shows the true impact of these efforts," said Amy Gath, vice president, marketing, Formica Corporation North America. "We’re so thankful to the Arbor Day Foundation and Xavier basketball for teaming with Formica Corporation on this sustainability campaign."

"The Altamaha River watershed supports the largest concentration of rare species of any river in the state. Over 10 rare endangered plant and animal species are found in or along the river,” said Dan Lambe, Arbor Day Foundation President. “The Formica Corporation and Xavier University Threes for Trees project will help restore habitat for these species, including the gopher tortoise, a keystone species for many other animals in the watershed. Additionally, longleaf pine will be replanted in the uplands of the watershed to restore native habitat and to provide clean water for the smaller streams and rivers in the area.”

Xavier Men's Basketball fans were updated on the number of threes made, and trees planted, throughout the season through various marketing elements such as graphics and signage inside the Cintas Center, radio broadcasts, and GoXavier.com. All three-pointers made, at both home and away games, counted towards the total number of trees planted.

"We are proud to continue our partnership with Formica Corporation and appreciate their long term support of Xavier Athletics," said Duffy House, General Manager of Xavier Sports Properties. “With over 12,000 trees planted in 5 years, there are very few sponsorship programs in the country dedicated to that level of positive impact on our environment. It’s an accomplishment our team and everyone involved should be incredibly proud of."