RETTEW Charitable Foundation Awards Project Partnership Grants Totaling $16,000 to Two Non-Profit Organizations

Online, July 24, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The RETTEW Charitable Foundation (RCF) today announced the first two non-profit organizations to be selected for project partnerships as part of the foundation's 2012 program.

"RETTEW and the RETTEW Charitable Foundation are honored to be able to partner with these two organizations," said Mark Lauriello, PE, president, RETTEW. "Both entities mirror RETTEW's values and are dedicated to improving quality of life for the individuals and communities they serve."

The purpose of RCF's project partnership program is to support projects that address a demonstrated community need, are from non-profit organizations within the regions that RETTEW serves and provide an opportunity in which RETTEW employees may volunteer. The support comes in the form of both a monetary grant as well as active support and engagement of RETTEW employees. RCF awarded grants to the following two non-profit organizations:

Canine Partners for Life (CPL) received a $6,000 RCF project partnership grant to purchase materials to construct a pavilion at its kennel in Cochranville, Pennsylvania. CPL is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to training service dogs, home companion dogs and residential companion dogs to assist individuals who have a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities. The dogs undergo a comprehensive training program at the kennel so that they are able to meet the specific needs of individuals and the environments in which they are living.

The pavilion that the RCF grant is funding will provide a shaded area for dogs when they are outside. In addition to the financial assistance RCF is providing, employees from RETTEW are also volunteering to assist with building the pavilion. CPL will also use a portion of the grant to purchase canine playground equipment.

"CPL does so much to improve the lives of people with disabilities," said Jeff Case, PE, director, transportation services, RETTEW. "I'm very proud that RETTEW can reach out and help them continue their work. This grant will do a lot for their operations." Case is an active CPL volunteer.

Schuylkill Headwaters Association, Inc. (SHA) received a $10,000 RCF project partnership grant to support the Michael Coal Mineland Reclamation Tree Planting Project. SHA is a grassroots group of volunteers who work to restore, preserve and protect the Schuylkill River Watershed within the boundaries of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. SHA's main focus has been remediation of the more than 150 abandoned mine drainage discharges that have been identified in Schuylkill County and pollute the area's waterways.

The Michael Coal Mineland Reclamation Tree Planting Project involves the reclamation of a 30-acre mining site by planting approximately 18,000 seedling trees in an effort to slow stormwater runoff, minimize soil erosion and prevent future flooding in the downstream communities of the Swatara Creek watershed. The RCF grant reimburses SHA for the purchase of native hardwood seedlings and the professional planting of trees on 28 of the 30 acres. Volunteers from RETTEW planted approximately 1,200 trees on the remaining two acres of land.

"Schuylkill Headwaters Association is thrilled to receive this generous support from the RETTEW Charitable Foundation," said Loren Reichert, treasurer, SHA. Reichert, who is also a RETTEW employee, added that the planting of seedlings was one of the largest Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) tree-planting projects this year. ARRI is a coalition of groups, including citizens, the coal industry and government dedicated to restoring forests on coal mined lands in the Eastern United States.

RCF is a 501(c)(3) organization that RETTEW formed in late 2011 to support charitable organizations in which the engineering and consulting firm's employees are invested or involved.

RETTEW, ranked 166 in 2012 on Engineering News-Record's annual list of top 500 design firms, provides engineering, transportation, environmental consulting, planning, surveying and related consulting services to a wide range of clients across the country. Beginning in 1969 as a single-person office, today RETTEW has more than 450 employees. Offices are located in Athens, Lancaster, Lehigh Valley, Mechanicsburg, Pittsburgh, Schuylkill Haven and Williamsport, Pa; Canton, Ohio; and Delhi and Liberty, N.Y. For more information on any of RETTEW's services, please call 1-800-RETTEW-5 (1-800-738-8395) or visit www.rettew.com.

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