Boston Organization Benefits From Royal Wedding
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's a question we all face: What do you get the couple that has everything?
Only in this case of Prince William and Kate Middleton, they really, truly have everything. That leaves anyone wishing to get them a wedding gift a bit out of luck.
Though it may not have occurred to you, there are quite a lot of people looking to do just that. To accommodate the well-wishers, the royal couple is instead asking them to donate to their newly-established charitable fund.
A chunk of the money raised will go to the Boston-based environmental group Earthwatch Institute. The organization runs expeditions all over the world, teaching people about science and sustainability.
WBZ-TV's Jim Armstrong reports.
"This is history in the making," said Tereza Byrne, Earthwatch's Chief Marketing Officer. "We're just honored."
Earthwatch is one of 26 charities worldwide that was hand-picked by the couple.
"It's wonderful to know that the soon-to-be royal couple have environmentalism on the top of their list of important things to think about," said Byrne. She added that the organization has a higher profile in the United Kingdom than in the U.S., and given Prince William's fondness for environmental issues it makes sense that Earthwatch made their list.
With the wedding still more than a week away, the fund has reportedly generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. That number, expected to grow quite a bit as the wedding date nears.
So, how much money is coming to Boston?
"We're often asked, 'How much do you expect to get from this?'" said Byrne. "We don't know. It's never been done before. This is a modern royal family and they want to be engaged with the community; they see the community as global. Just being invited to the party, so to speak, that's just great for us."
