Mister Car Wash Partners with Mayor Regina Romero to Fund up $250,000 for La Mar Park and the Tucson Million Trees Program

Today (July 18, 2022,)  the office of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero announced that Mister Car Wash Chief Executive Officer John Lai has agreed to band together with the city to raise up to $250,000 for the next phase of the Tucson Million Trees Program: the transformation of the La Mar Park “in the Rose Neighborhood from an empty lot to a restored site with green infrastructure and community gathering features.”

Launched in 2020, the goal of Mayor Romero and the supporters of the Tucson Millions Tree Program is to plant a million trees in the city area by 2030 in order to increase the city’s tree canopy, mitigate the severity of climate change, and reduce the local urban island heating effects, especially in low income and minority communities.

According to the press release from the Mayor’s office, the city has so far planted 45,000 trees and the Mayor has raised over half a million dollars through private partners.

Commenting on this development, Mayor Romero, a state and national leader in green sustainability, said:

“We are ready to fund the next chapter of the Tucson Million Trees program. We continue to move the needle and I am thankful for the partnership of Mister Car Wash CEO John Lai and our community partners who are making a generational commitment to increasing our urban forest. This is about more than understanding the importance of trees to combat the urban heat island effect. This is about acting with urgency. And Mister Car Wash gets it.”

Mayor Romero also posted on Facebook:

“Today I announced a partnership with Mister Car Wash CEO John Lai to raise $250,000 to fund the next chapter of the #TucsonMillionTrees program.

I am thankful to John Lai and our community partners who are making a generational commitment to increasing our urban forest. This is about more than understanding the importance of trees to combat the urban heat island effect. This is about acting with urgency.

Mister Car Wash is committing an initial $100,000 to kickstart the fund and is committed to matching an additional $50,000. A donor event this fall aims to raise additional funds for Tucson Million Trees to fight the heat island effect.

Under my leadership, the City of #Tucson has set a goal of planting one million trees by 2030 to help address extreme heat and advance the City’s climate goals. To date, over 45,000 trees have been planted or distributed and my office has raised over half a million dollars with private partners to increase tree canopy in heat vulnerable communities.”

Mister Car Wash CEO John Lai offered in the press release:

“We are proud to partner with Mayor Romero and Tucson Million Trees to increase tree equity and improve the ecosystem of the Rose Neighborhood. Our goal is to amplify water education and engage in watershed protection efforts in the communities we serve, and it starts here in our backyard.”

Rose Neighborhood Association President Martina Leon Rodriguez relayed her support, commenting:

“We are excited to work with Mayor Romero’s Tucson Million Trees program to transform La Mar Park into a green and safe space in an urban environment for our community gatherings, including our upcoming Fall Fiesta. We are very grateful to Mister Car Wash for their generous financial contribution and look forward to finalizing our vision for this site.”