Peak 7 Adventures, a faith-based non-profit organization headquartered in Spokane that takes underprivileged and at-risk youth in Washington and Oregon on outdoor recreation outings, was the recipient of a $25,000 The North Face Explorer Fund grant this past summer.
Peak 7 was one of 10 organizations selected out of 500 applicants in May to produce a minute long video detailing their proposal to The Explore Fund, which is the philanthropic arm of The North Face and facilitator of the competition. The Explore Fund set up a Facebook page in June with videos that told the stories of all 10 organizations to encourage the public to learn about the various projects and vote daily for their top choice. At the end of it all, the top 5 projects with the most votes each received a $25,000 grant, and the 5 runners up each received $10,000.
The North Face announced the winners at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City in early August. A small group from Peak 7 was there to attend the show and accept the check for $25,000 for finishing in the top 5. The grant will go towards providing transformational rock climbing and whitewater rafting adventures to hundreds of additional youth out of the organization’s central Oregon location.
Peak 7’s programs are guided by the belief that wilderness adventures challenge participants to expand their horizons by fostering trust, relationships and team building skills. They focus primarily on providing positive, spiritually nourishing outdoor experiences for underprivileged and “at-risk” youth. The North Face grant will provide opportunities for kids who would otherwise not have these kinds of outdoor experiences. The programs are designed to be challenging and rewarding in a way that helps them realize a greater potential in themselves, while developing an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world.
“Our track record shows the amazing use of funds and how we stretch people’s investments and impact youth in life changing ways through outdoor exposure with their investments,” says Peak 7 Loran Kerrigan. “This is an amazing outdoors community we have here in Spokane, and it was an honor to be recognized by The North Face at the international Outdoor Retailer Show!” Peak 7 relies on individual and corporate contributions to carry out their mission. Learn more about their projects and how you can support their efforts at www.peak7.org.
