Celebrating stewardship!

On Thursday morning, staff from the CMC were treated to a breakfast celebration on the lawn of the American Mountaineering Center by our corporate partner REI. The event recognized 13 local nonprofit organizations, and REI’s contributions this year in the amount of $234,000 to fund outdoor stewardship projects.

Participants enjoyed one of the first cool and breezy mornings of fall on the grass outside the Mountaineering Center, and the food – donated by Whole Foods and Ideal Market – was delicious.

REI awarded $4.2 million this year nationally to nonprofit partners that restore outdoor spaces. REI invites select organizations to apply for grant funding based on nominations from store employees. Eligible groups must be outdoor nonprofits that promote active volunteerism through their programs, such as hands-on trail building or restoration events.

 

CMC staff enjoyed mingling and talking with our friends from REI, as well as staff from the other grantees: The Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, Continental Divide Trail Alliance, Colorado Youth Program, The Colorado Trail Foundation, Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership Inc, Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Colorado Mountain Bike Association, Westminster Legacy Foundation, and Wildlands Restoration Volunteers. 

This year, REI awarded $10,000 to the CMC’s Volunteer Stewardship Program. The funds will be used for six projects, ranging from high-elevation Fourteener restoration, to ground-breaking trail construction in a new state park, to family-friendly trail maintenance of open space trails. The funds will go towards our 2011-2012 stewardship projects on Mt. Yale, Hope Lake, Staunton State Park, and Golden Cliffs. Over the course of these projects, we expect to engage a total of 506 volunteers, including 235 youth, for a total of 3,250 volunteer hours. We will build or maintain 5 miles of trail and restore 12.5 acres of land. To learn more about the CMC’s stewardship work, or to find out how you can get involved, contact Lisa Cashel at lisacashel@cmc.org.