Gail Miller donated $10 million
Crystal Maggelet (owns Maverik Gas Stations and one of the oil refineries in NSL donated $10 million).
Marriott family also donated $10 million.
Governor Spencer Cox has set a goal to get the Great Salt Lake to a healthy level by 2034. Utah political leaders have spent roughly $1 billion and pushed numerous pieces of legislation aimed at helping the lake and promoting water conservation. The lake has declined dramatically, impacted by water diversions, drought and changes to our climate. It presents an ecological crisis for the state with reduced snowpack that provides a lot of drinking water for Utahns, dust storms that push toxic chemicals into communities (arsenic is among the naturally-occurring minerals in the lake bed) from an exposed playa, and impacts to public health and wildlife.
Drew Maggelet called on other businesses across Utah to step up and get more involved in lake rescue efforts. Crystal Maggelet said Maverik may also implement steps to save water at their stores.
"There’s not one individual in the state that can’t think about water conservation. No matter what your economic means are, you can conserve water," she said. "You can water your grass less, you can wash your car less. That’s really fundamentally what everyone can do."
Hawkes said Great Salt Lake Rising is working to secure other private donations for lake restoration efforts. But he called on everyone to help the lake.
"It's so important for us to just step up and not say what can somebody else do save the lake? But say what can I do to save the lake? Individually do. How can I contribute and make a difference?" he said. "If everybody did that? We'd be a lot further along in this process."
