REI Commits to Youth with $100,000 Award
Outdoor retailer Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) announced at its annual meeting March 26, a commitment exceeding $100,000 to encourage young people`s participation in outdoor activities and environmental stewardship.
The commitment is evenly split between Inner City Outings, a youth program of the Sierra Club, and the Outdoor Recreation Foundation, the non-profit foundation of the Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America (ORCA). Representatives from both organizations attended REI`s March 26 annual membership meeting to receive the contributions and speak about their programs.
"REI is offering leadership in getting kids outdoors for two equally important reasons," said REI CEO Dennis Madsen. "We want kids to actively enjoy our nation`s natural lands and appreciate the thrill of muscle-powered recreation, while also encouraging the next generation of advocates for the outdoor environment."
Inner City Outings (ICO) is a 30-year-old community outreach program developed by the Sierra Club to provide wilderness adventures for people whom otherwise wouldn`t have them. Participants include low-income youth of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, hearing- or visually-impaired individuals and people with physical disabilities. Founded by the Sierra Club`s San Francisco Bay Chapter, there are now 50 ICO programs nationwide. Trained volunteers lead as many as 1,000 outings a year, serving more than 15,000 young people.
REI`s $50,000 grant supports the equipment needs for the organization`s chapters. Because REI also will discount purchases for the chapters, the actual value of the grant well exceeds $50,000.
ORCA is the trade association representing the interests of more than 1,100 companies supporting outdoor muscle-powered activities. The REI grant will help sponsor an April forum on youth and the outdoors. The grant also creates a $45,000 challenge to encourage involvement of other outdoor companies in the funding, design and implementation of an industry program to encourage youth participation in muscle-powered outdoor activities and environmental advocacy.
The combined donations are among the largest single focus grants made by REI and are the launching point for a multi-year REI effort to support youth.
"According to studies done by ORCA, two-thirds of those who regularly participate in outdoor activities were introduced to the outdoors before the age of 17. These commitments will encourage the connection between kids and the people who can get them into the outdoors. This connection is essential to our business, the well-being of our society and the future of our wild and natural places," Madsen said.
In addition to its grants, all REI retail stores will stock free brochures that offer resources for how adults and young people can start enjoying outdoor recreation.
REI was established in 1938 by a group of 23 Pacific Northwest mountaineers who formed a consumer cooperative to ensure quality products for its members. Today, REI has more than 1.8 million active members served by 60 retail stores in the U.S and Japan and operates three Internet sites: www.rei.com, www.rei-outlet.com and www.rei.co.jp. While anyone may shop at REI, members receive special discounts and a share in the company`s profits through an annual patronage refund based on their purchases. Lifetime REI memberships are available for a one-time $15 fee.
A portion of REI`s profits is set aside each year for support of conservation and recreation causes. REI has given more than $8 million since 1976 to such efforts around the nation.
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