Willie Donates $40,000 to Vancouver, WA

12/20/2007 Stephen L. Betts     A $40,000 donation has been received by the city of Vancouver, Washington, from country music legend Willie Nelson, who performed a concert at the city’s Amphitheater at Clark County. Willie, who worked as a disc jockey for KVAN radio in Vancouver almost 50 years ago, agreed to donate an unspecified amount of proceeds to his former home. Per terms of the loose verbal agreement between Vancouver and Willie’s managers, the city wasn't able to keep the entire $40,000. Instead, it handed over $15,000 checks this week to both the Humane Society for Southwest Washington and the Boys and Girls Club. Willie’s donation to the city originally was intended to help defray the costs associated with Vancouver celebrating this year's 150th anniversary of the city's incorporation. Colleen Kawahara, Vancouver special projects coordinator, said the city was able to cover those costs through sponsorships, so it decided to use the remaining $10,000 for its fledgling sustainability program, an effort to make city government and the community more ecologically friendly.