Anyone who remembers the classic Jackie Gleason sitcom, The Honeymooners, remembers the apartment in which star characters Ralph and AliceRead more…
We’re building a Forest of Dreams in Times Square
Visitors to the concrete jungle of New York’s Times Square will be surprised on Oct. 18 when they find it transformed into a beautiful woodland oasis, a “Forest of Dreams.” The lush forest, filled with live trees and rescued wildlife, symbolizes the 1,000 acres of trees planted across the U.S. so far by LightStream, and its push to reforest an additional 500 acres this year.
LightStream has planted a tree for every loan funded since launching in 2013. As part of the Forest of Dreams initiative, LightStream will plant a tree for each of the first 10,000 people who participate in the Forest of Dreams experience. A portion of the Forest of Dreams donations will benefit areas recently decimated by hurricanes, including Houston and Miami.
There are three easy ways for people across the U.S. to get involved in this effort:
- Visit the Forest of Dreams in Times Square. Visitors can stroll through the forest, interact with rescued wildlife and opt to have a tree planted on their behalf. They can also have their photo taken against a forest background which may be shared on a Times Square billboard.
- Go to LightStreamForests.com. People can visit the Forest of Dreams website and sign up to have a tree planted. If they upload a photo, they too may be featured on the Times Square billboard.
- Share on social media. Those who submit a photo to LightStreamForests.com will receive an email with their picture customized, as if they were at the Forest of Dreams event and featured on a Times Square billboard. They can share the image with others and encourage them to plant a tree, as well. (#lightstreamforests; #forestofdreams).
“The Forest of Dreams is LightStream’s way of celebrating the hundreds of thousands of dreams we’ve helped make a reality for our customers,” said Todd Nelson, LightStream business development officer. “We offer a simple, virtually paperless loan for practically anything. It empowers people and gives them the financial confidence to make their goals come true — whether they’re looking to buy that classic car they’ve always wanted, build their dream kitchen, or fund fertility treatments so they can start a family.”
For each funded loan, LightStream plants a tree in partnership with American Forests, the nation’s oldest conservation organization. LightStream contributions help support American ReLeaf, which funds tree-planting projects across the country. Beginning with the Forest of Dreams, LightStream is also supporting American Forests’ Community ReLeaf program, which brings critically needed trees to urban settings.
“We deeply appreciate LightStream’s commitment to restoring forests and green spaces,” said Jad Daley, vice president of conservation programs at American Forests. “Their support results in tangible, long-term impacts that benefit wildlife as well as communities — and the health of our planet as a whole.”
