Golden, Colo. (December 20, 2018)—Big City Mountaineers (BCM), a leading provider of transformational wilderness experiences for under-resourced youth, has honored Smartwool as its Corporate Partner of the Year. Smartwool’s contributions enable BCM to send more youth participants into the backcountry, as well as provide quality camping apparel for overnight trips.

“We are in awe of Smartwool’s commitment to Big City Mountaineers and how much the organization has done for us this year,” says Bryan Martin, Executive Director at Big City Mountaineers. “Smartwool’s belief in the restorative value of the outdoors aligns well with BCM’s mission to give more youth transformational wilderness experiences.”

Smartwool’s Advocacy Fund, established to protect the environment and share Smartwool’s love of the outdoors with others, donated nearly $20,000 to Big City Mountaineers this year. This donation alone is enough to fund week-long expeditions for 20 under-served youth.

In addition to the gift from the Advocacy fund, Smartwool employee Joelle Hamm raised $2300 participating in a BCM Summit for Someone climb on Long’s Peak—more than double the fundraising commitment. At the Summer Outdoor Retailer Show, an activation at the Smartwool booth raised an additional $4,300 for Big City Mountaineers, and in 2018, Smartwool donated close to 1,000 pairs of wool socks for BCM trips.

“At Smartwool, we recognize there are many ways for both companies and individuals to give back. We want to show our support through monetary and in-kind donations, as well as volunteer time,” says Jennifer McLaren, president of Smartwool. “Participation and accessibility are two key areas of focus for our brand moving forward. Big City Mountaineers is critical in that they introduce the outdoors to children who might not otherwise have access to experience all its wonders. And, they instill confidence in these kids that will someday be the future stewards of our lands. We are proud of the work we have done with them as a brand and as individual team members.” 

In addition to announcing Smartwool as Big City Mountaineer’s Corporate Partner of the Year, the nonprofit also honors the following partners in 2018:

Volunteer: Nathan Silvergate, OR

Youth Program Instructor: Adam Long, MN

Youth Agency Partner: Environmental Learning for Kids, CO  

Land Manager: Nathan Fletcher, OR

Summit For Someone Participant: Scott and Kirsty Thorsteinson, WA

Board Member: Ben Gipson, CA

National Council Member: Deborah Beggan

About Big City Mountaineers

Big City Mountaineers (BCM) instills critical life skills in over 1,000 under-served young people each year by getting them outdoors with volunteer mentors for life-changing wilderness experiences. BCM’s unique model of 1:1 mentoring is proven to develop integrity, responsibility, and improve communication skills and decision-making abilities in youth from risk-filled environments through a nationally recognized developmental analysis tool. Youth who develop these skills alongside caring mentors are more likely to stay in school and avoid drugs, gangs, and violence. To learn more, please visit www.bigcitymountaineers.org