I want to share a special grassroots initiative that is very unique, and show you how to get involved if you’ve traveled to Italy (or plan to!) and appreciate the cultural traditions that make this place what it is.
Friends of mine — a dynamite, international and all-female team — have put together a crowdfunding campaign called Grapes & Heroes to benefit the Cinque Terre region.
This region and its five gorgeous villages are held in place by a network of dry stone walls — 3,560 miles of them, to be exact! Without these walls, there would be nothing to stop the Cinque Terre from tumbling to the sea. The winemakers of the Cinque Terre are the caretakers of these walls, but when the walls break, the costs to rebuild them are pretty steep (get it?). These walls are quite literally the backbone of the Cinque Terre, they hold everything together and help prevent landslides from damaging the villages below.
We’re proud supporters of this project with our cash and product donations. We’re here to spread the word about this grassroots effort between residents, farmers, winemakers and the global community who supports this. It’s all about seeing local traditions carry forward.
To help offset the costs of maintaining the terrace walls the grapes are grown on, these volunteers have created this initiative and have gathered some amazing perks which will be available in exchange for your donation on Indiegogo. All in support of a group of local winemakers.
Tons of folks have traveled to the Cinque Terre with us, so you know the terraces I’m talking about. If you haven’t been to the Cinque Terre just yet, it is a unique part of the world (and a Unesco World Heritage Site to boot).
Last autumn, the Cinque Terre was pummeled by extraordinary back-to-back rainstorms causing the collapse of countless walls. The winemakers need a hand from all of us to make things right again.
Go to the Grapes and Heroes campaign page to see what you can score, like cute t-shirts, Cinque Terre wines (yum! and pretty much impossible to get outside of the region), wall building experiences, an Italian Fix travel guide to Italy and much more. It ends in a few weeks.
If you are anything like me, you’ll pitch in, choose an awesome perk, and feel great about making a difference in this incredibly special corner of Italy!
The campaign ends on March 25th. Thanks for sharing this with other Italy lovers you may know!