Diamond in the Desert: Keeping the Crown Jewel of the West Valley Alive and Wild

More than 250 supporters of the White Tank Mountains Conservancy (WTMC) gathered at The Corral at White Tank Ranch on Thursday, October 29, for our second annual Diamond in the Desert celebration. The night was filled with community spirit, passion for conservation, and country-style fun set against the backdrop of the beautiful White Tank Mountains.

Thanks to our incredible sponsors, dedicated partners, enthusiastic volunteers, and passionate supporters, the evening was a tremendous success. Together, we raised critical funds to support conservation, research, and outreach and education throughout the White Tank Mountains, one of the Valley’s fastest-growing and most ecologically significant areas.

Stronger Together: A Growing Impact

This event was our second fundraiser, following the inaugural Diamond in the Desert in January 2025. In less than a year after our last event, we achieved a 17% increase and raised $80,000, helping ensure the White Tanks remain protected and thriving for generations to come.

Sharma Torrens, Executive Director of WTMC, stated, “It was truly inspiring to witness the strong and widespread community support for WTMC and our shared vision of sustainable development, wildlife corridor conservation, and the biodiversity of these precious mountains.”

The evening featured:

• Live music from local favorite Honeygirl

• A warm welcome and remarks from Councilmember Chris Judd, WTMC Board Chair

• A competitive silent and live auction, with high-energy bidding

• A lively bead-necklace raffle game with an Apple Watch Series 11 grand prize

• Delicious food, dancing, and drinks

• Volunteers and attendees rocking their WTMC blue and Western best

  

Gratitude for Our Community

The Diamond in the Desert wouldn’t happen without the dedication of many:

• Sponsors who power our mission:

  • Cox Communications

  • The Corral at White Tank Mountain Ranch and Osborne Jewelers

  • Sun Belt Energy LLC

  • LKY Development Company

  • SRP

  • Arizona Rock Products Association

  • City of Buckeye

  • Estrella Mountain Community College

  • Kat n Bud Enterprises

  • White Tanks Plumbing

  • White Tank Wellness

  • WESTMARC

  • The Nature Conservancy

  • Shamrock Foods

  • Rotary Club of Verrado

  • City of Litchfield Park

  • Jeff Caler Insurance Co

  • Jackie & Verlyne Meck

  • GCC

  • Cohere

  • City Surprise Economic Dev. Dept

  • City of Surprise

  • City of Goodyear

  • Moore Graphics

• Local businesses and donors who contributed auction items to the event:

  • The Corral at White Tank Ranch

  • Osborne Jewelers

  • Castle Hot Springs

  • Clay Goodman

  • Club Travelo

  • Elite Certificates

  • Moore Graphics

  • Westgate Entertainment

  • Arizona Museum of Natural History

  • Verrado Golf Club

  • APS

  • AZ Rattlers

  • Bearizona

  • Cosanti

  • Desert Botanical Gardens

  • Electric Pickle

  • Kendra Scott

  • Milwaukee Brewers

  • Phoenix Art Museum

  • Phoenix Rising

  • Phoenix Symphony

  • Phoenix Zoo

  • Stand Up Live

  • Taadidiin Tours

  • Total Wine & More

  • Howard Hughes Holdings

  • Valley Youth Theatre

  • Verrado Golf Club

  • Wigwam

  • Wildlife World Zoo

  • San Diego City Cruises

  • Gary Miler

  • Cooper’s Hawk Winery

  • Arizona Opera

  • Arizona Mountain Guides

• Volunteers who set up, checked in guests, supported the technology, and ensured everything ran smoothly.

• Advocates and attendees who bid generously and shared their enthusiasm for conservation

Our sincerest gratitude goes to WTMC’s dedicated Board Members, staff, and volunteers who helped plan and manage the event.  Special recognition goes to Alexa Holzinger for her leadership and coordination of the event, and to Jim Hoffman for staffing our Desert Defenders booth throughout the night.

Your passion is what fuels WTMC’s work.

Why This Matters

As communities continue to grow around the White Tanks, so do the conservation needs.

Funds raised support:

• Conservation of habitat and wildlife linkage

• Education and outreach programs

• Research and environmental monitoring

• Strategic Implementation of the Connectivity Initiative (which establishes collaborations with landowners around the mountains to ensure they know how to incorporate conservation into their land use plans)

Every contribution directly helps protect one of Arizona’s most cherished mountain ranges.

Why it matters:

• Maricopa County has been one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation for several years, and much of this growth is occurring in the West Valley.

• The White Tank Mountains are situated in the Sonoran Desert, one of the world’s most biodiverse deserts.

• There are 515 animal species and 621 native plant species in this region.

• We have an opportunity to address a potential problem: unsustainable development that blocks wildlife corridors and leads to biodiversity loss.

• Growth and development can occur sustainably and responsibly.

Until Next Year…

We’re deeply grateful to everyone who made the 2025 Diamond in the Desert a night to remember.

If you’d like to get involved, learn more about our volunteering opportunities at https://www.wtmconservancy.org/get-involved/volunteer-with-us/.