Virginia Beach, VA - Leading outdoor power equipment manufacturer STIHL Inc. announced it will be the title sponsor of this year's Tour des Trees, a cross-country cycling and education event to benefit the Tree Research and Education Endowment (TREE) Fund. The event is America's largest fundraiser to improve the care of trees through research and education.

The 2008 Tour des Trees raised more than a quarter million dollars for the TREE Fund, a charitable organization dedicated to advancing knowledge in the field of arboriculture and urban forestry to benefit people, trees and the environment. Since its inception in 1992, the Tour has generated more than $4.1 million and has funded a host of diverse projects, such as post-Katrina research on the impact of hurricane flooding on mature trees.

"STIHL has been a great supporter of both the Tour des Trees and the work of the TREE Fund for more than nine years, and they are extremely well respected within the arboriculture community," said Janet Bornancin, executive director of the TREE Fund. "Their involvement showcases their dedication to further research on urban tree care and encourages others within the industry to follow their lead."

"We at STIHL are committed to projects that demonstrate our support for socially responsible environmental stewardship," said Roger Phelps, promotional communications manager for STIHL Inc. "Just as STIHL invests resources into making energy-efficient products that minimize environmental impact, we also invest in organizations like the TREE Fund that finance research that has significant impact on future generations."

The STIHL Tour des Trees will travel primarily through New England this year, kicking off in New York City on July 19 and ending in Rhode Island at the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) International Tree Climbing Championship on July 25. Recent Tours have cycled through the Midwest and Northern California.