#GivingTuesday matters for the lands and waters we love

This #GivingTuesday, you have the power to make someone’s outdoor dreams come true with the gift of a Mountaineers Scholarship.
Amber Dygert Amber Dygert
Director of Development
December 01, 2020
#GivingTuesday matters for the lands and waters we love

We know you probably received a mountain of #GivingTuesday outreach and we appreciate your support of the organizations and causes you care about. Thank you for sticking with us today. I wanted to share one last story from a scholarship recipient who tugged at my heartstrings. Reading her testimonial reminded me that I chose fundraising as a career because the work made possible by donors really matters. It matters for individuals, it matters for communities, and at The Mountaineers it matters for the lands and waters we love.

Allow me to introduce you to Lily, a high school senior in Tacoma whose scholarship enabled her to participate in the Tacoma Mountaineers Adventure Club (MAC) for the last five years. Prior to joining MAC, she aspired to build a stronger connection with nature and form friendships with other kids who loved the outdoors. LIly’s mom took Basic Alpine Climbing when she was younger, and Lily hoped to one day follow in those footsteps. However, the cost of the year-round MAC program was prohibitive and the opportunity felt out of reach.

Thanks to scholarship support from Mountaineers donors, Lily was empowered to join our community and the rest, as they say, is history:

“I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say that I am so grateful to have received a scholarship from The Mountaineers. Being a part of this program has allowed me to grow relationships with people who love the same things I do. People who love to learn and who thrive in nature, just like me. The trips that I have been on with MAC, including a week-long adventure to the North Cascades last summer, have been some of the best experiences of my life.” 

What I love about her story is that it paints a picture of a transformative beginning one that not only benefits her, but the places she loves too:

“Organizations like The Mountaineers are so important because when people spend time outside, they now have a reason to help protect the outdoors. Being a part of MAC has taught me a lot about the importance of conservation. The Mountaineers promotes a love for outdoor recreation, and that love is essential for the protection of our public lands and waters.”

For many people, a scholarship is a door to a world of adventure they couldn’t experience without the support of donors like you.

Give Today to Support Mountaineers Scholarships

As you reflect on your own Mountaineers experience, I hope you’ll also reflect on the future you hope to see for public lands. Scholarships help budding recreationists grow into lifelong conservationists specifically those who otherwise couldn’t realize these opportunities. 

Your gift of any size matters for youth like Lily. It also matters for the public lands that we are helping to protect. Before you head to bed tonight, I hope you’ll consider supporting more stories like hers.

This #GivingTuesday, you have the power to make someone’s outdoor dreams come true with the gift of a Mountaineers Scholarship. You can do this by making a gift online or contributing to our social media fundraiser so you can share it with your friends. Help us reach our #GivingTuesday goal of $15,000 to expand access to outdoor education to youth and adults across our seven branches.

MAIN IMAGE BY SARAH HOLT.

The Mountaineers® is a 501(c)(3) organization supported through earned revenue and elevated through charitable contributions, tax ID:27-3009280, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115.


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