Centerra Hosts Spring Sustainability and Community Enhancement Efforts

This spring the Centerra master-planned community in Loveland has been focusing on sustainability and healthy living, engaging with Northern Colorado residents for events supporting environmental stewardship and giving back.

Centerra recently hosted a Spring Clean Up event, in partnership with High Plains Environmental Center (HPEC) and The Lakes, inviting volunteers to clean open space areas along the trail system, canal and lakes. These natural areas and trail system are owned and managed by local nonprofit HPEC, and are open for use to the public. Volunteers of all ages supported the effort, including Centerra and Loveland residents, HPEC staff and McWhinney associates. The group covered HPEC’s 76-acre site and collected a full truckload of bags with debris from the open space and waterways around Equalizer Lake and Houts Reservoir.

HPEC, located within Centerra, is also currently hosting its annual Native Plant Sale to kick off the spring season. The sale will be open online now through September 6 and consists of a wide variety of native plants that help conserve water and support native wildlife, especially pollinators. All 2021 stock comes in 2 3/8″ x 5″ deep-root pots available for pick-up. Each plant is priced between $5 – $6, and new varieties will be added throughout the season with more than 100 species anticipated. Sales from the Native Plant Sale benefit the nonprofit organization and its effort to conserve and restore Colorado’s unique native biodiversity through the use of native plants in landscaping and open space.

“We appreciate all who have come together in support of conservation within our community,” said David Crowder, vice president of McWhinney and general manager of Centerra. “Sustainability is a core value at Centerra. These efforts are a step toward a much larger and ongoing initiative, helping to spark a passion and focus on healthy living within our community.”

Centerra also recently partnered with the UCHealth Garth Englund Blood Center to host three community blood drives at its Railway Flats, HPEC and The Promenade Shops locations. The Front Range has seen a drop in blood donations due to the recent snowstorms. The blood drives, adhering to COVID-19 safety and social distancing protocols, collected a generous amount of units that equated to saving 51 lives. On June 1st and July 2nd, McWhinney will continue the blood drive efforts with UCHealth by hosting two additional community drives at the Trails at Timberline and Cycle Apartments located in Fort Collins.

During the blood drives, Centerra partnered to support a local Girl Scout troop in Loveland, after a challenging season of cookie sales due to the impacts of COVID-19. Centerra purchased cookies to support the troop and gifted a box to each blood donor. In addition, each blood donor (21 and older) received a complimentary beer pint coupon from local Loveland breweries, Grimm Brothers and Loveland Aleworks.

The Centerra community also sponsored the annual Loveland Classic 5k/10k Race, which raised funds for the Thompson Education Foundation. Centerra hosted a table handing out Boxed Water to the participants. The Boxed Water, donated by McWhinney’s multifamily division, allowed for convenient and safe single-use consumption and the cartons are made with 100% recyclable materials.

“Giving back and supporting impactful community engagements are key elements that make Centerra unique and connected to the broader Northern Colorado community,” said Celeste Smith, senior marketing director for McWhinney. “We continually look for opportunities to support those in need while engaging local residents in fun and safe ways. These community impact events have allowed us to continue bolstering the community’s spirit, which has always been part of our legacy and continues to be a heightened priority for us.”