The Mountaineers

OUR PARKS | YOUR ADVENTURE

by The Mountaineers


Caitlin O'Brien

Name: Caitlin O'Brien

My Adventure Goal:Climb the Grand in Grand Teton NP in less than 24 hours

My Challenge Goal: $1000 

Why this is important to me: When I was a kid, my parents used to take us on back country canoe trips each summer. I looked forward to those 10 days in the back country, and getting to spend that time with my family. Now as an adult, the outdoors is my safe haven. I want to give youth the opportunity to get outside, and be excited to take care of our wild places. My brother, Colin, introduced me to climbing 4 years ago, and I've been hooked ever since. He dragged me along on trips to Exit 38 and 32, and took me to Index to watch me flail the first few times. Though I was a newbie, he took me up the North Ridge of Mt. Stuart and we summited in under 24 hours. We are teaming up again to climb the Grand in under 24 hours. 

BONUS!! Your tax-deductible donation will be matched up to $10,000 thanks to a generous matching gift challenge from Rich & Martha Draves.

 


 


WHAT IS IT? An adventure-based fundraising event to encourage you to complete exciting adventures in our National Parks, and celebrate the National Park Service's Centennial while inspiring friends, family, and colleagues to donate and help The Mountaineers get kids outside -  especially into our National Parks!

Adventurers choose a Mountaineers-esqe adventure - like climbing, hiking, kayaking, biking, or photography - to complete in one of our National Parks, where the opportunities are endless! No adventure is too big or too small. Choose your challenge and join us!

WHY JOIN US? Studies show that fewer kids are getting outside. That's a problem because you protect what you love and you love what you know. If youth don't have a chance to connect with our natural landscapes, then we won't have fierce protectors of our wild places. To reverse this trend, The Mountaineers gives youth - especially the underserved - outdoor experiences to develop a healthy, active outdoor lifestyle. We hope to cultivate and inspire a future generation of stewards for our public lands and waters. With your participation in Our Parks | Your Adventure, you will help us continue to connect thousands more kids to the outdoors and to the National Parks that belong to us all.

GOAL: Raise $40,000 to support our youth programs to get more kids outside!

WANT TO ADVENTURE?

Step One: Choose an Adventure. No adventure is too big or too small—your adventure just needs to happen in a National Park!

Example Adventures: climb Mount Rainier, snap photos of the peregrine falcon in Olympic National Park, go on five National Park hikes you’ve never done (which you can find in Craig Romano’s new edition of 100 Classic Hikes Washington), paddle on Ross Lake, scramble a peak in North Cascades National Park....the opportunities really are endless.

Step Two: Create a Profile. Upload a photo and share your story of Adventure! Click here to see a sample profile from one of our Adventurers!

Step Three: Ask for support. Talk to family, friends, pets, colleagues, whomever about the importance of getting kids outside and ask for donations to support our youth programs. No amount is too big or too small -- every little bit counts!

Step Four: Spread the word. Share your profile page and goal on social media. Inspire your social media friends to Adventure, too! Use the hashtags: #ourparksyouradventure and #OPYA to track your photos and find photos of fellow adventurers!

CAN’T ADVENTURE BUT WANT TO HELP?
Make a donation of any size before Sept. 5 to one of our participating Adventurers and it will be matched! 

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS
Young people at The Mountaineers discover outdoor adventure, learn new skills, and build lifelong friends through our youth and family programs.

Mountain Workshops: This program gives outdoor experiences via partnerships with local schools and youth-serving community organizations, especially minority youth ages 6 to 18. Each Mountain Workshops series offers youth 1 to 20 experiences in the outdoors throughout the year. 

Pioneers & Explorers (Youth and Family): These year-round adventure programs are for elementary (Pioneers) and middle school aged (Explorers) youth and their families. These programs provide experiences for families who want to make time outside a priority and build skills to do so safely and independently.

Mountaineers Adventure Club: This year-round teen program for high school youth provides intensive skill and leadership building opportunities. Many teens in this program volunteer to teach younger kids in our Mountain Workshops and Summer Camp programs.

Click here to learn more about our Youth Programs.


ABOUT THE MOUNTAINEERS
For 110 years, The Mountaineers has set the standard for climbing education, outdoor instruction and wilderness conservation in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Today, the 11,600-member organization offers thousands of volunteer-led classes, field trips, and events to connect young and old, novice and veteran, to the power and wonder of the natural world. Its publishing division Mountaineers Books further expands the mission internationally through award-winning publications including instructional guides, biographies, adventure narratives, and conservation photography books.

The Mountaineers is a 501(c)(3) organization. As a nonprofit, 100% of your dues and donations are tax-deductible as a donation. Our Employer Identification Number (EIN) — Federal Tax Identification Number — is 27-3009280.

#ourparksyouradventure

DONATE

$1,001 RAISED

$1,000 GOAL

This Appeal 27 100%
has ended. Believers Funded
This appeal has ended.

DONATE $10 or More

3
Believers

Give a water bottle to 1 kid.

GIVE A WATER BOTTLE!

Donate at this level

DONATE $25 or More

3
Believers

Give lunch to 3 Bailey Gatzert elementary students.

LUNCH FOR 3 BAILEY GATZERT STUDENTS!

Donate at this level

DONATE $50 or More

5
Believers

Give a climbing harness to 1 kid.

GIVE ONE CLIMBING HARNESS!

Donate at this level

DONATE $100 or More

0
Believers

Give lunch to a Bailey Gatzert elementary class.

BUY LUNCH FOR A BAILEY GATZERT PROGRAM!

Donate at this level

DONATE $250 or More

0
Believers

Give 10 kids each a Day Hiking in Mount Rainier or Day Hiking in North Cascades book.

GIVE A NP GUIDE BOOK TO YOUTH!

Donate at this level

DONATE $500 or More

0
Believers

Give 20 kids a chance to learn outdoor skills at our Seattle or Tacoma Program Centers.

FUND A MOUNTAIN WORKSHOP FOR 20 YOUTH!

Donate at this level

DONATE $1,000 or More

0
Believers

Give 5 kids gear and transportation for a multi-day backpack in Olympic National Park. YOU get a Mountaineers Books' Prophets & Moguls, Rangers and Rogues, Bison and Bears: 100-years of the National Service by Heather Hansen.

Limited Rewards: 100 of 100 remaining

BACKPACK TRIP FOR 5 YOUTH IN OLYMPIC NP!

Donate at this level

DONATE $2,500 or More

0
Believers

Give 20 kids gear for a multi-day snowshoe at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park. YOU get the $1,000 level gift plus Mountaineers Books' Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula, Day Hiking Mt. Rainier and Day Hiking North Cascades by Craig Romano.

SNOWSHOE TRIP FOR 20 IN MOUNT RAINIER NP

Donate at this level

DONATE $5,000 or More

0
Believers

Bus 2 groups of kids to North Cascades National Park canoe Ross Lake and day hike on the trails. YOU get the $2,500 level gift plus Mountaineers Books' 100 Classic Hikes Washington by Craig Romano.

MOUNTAIN WORKSHOP IN NORTH CASCADES NP!

Donate at this level

Donate what you wish