Rose Burke
Each year Mountaineers members, volunteers, donors, authors, partners, and outdoor advocates from around the Pacific Northwest and beyond trade in their hiking boots and hang up their puffy jackets for one special evening, dressing in their elegant best to gather in support of all The Mountaineers does to advance our mission.
This year, on April 25, more than 400 people gathered at Fremont Studios for an unforgettable evening celebrating community, conservation, and the power of outdoor connection at The Mountaineers Adventure with Purpose Gala. The event also marked a special milestone: the 120th anniversary of The Mountaineers.
RECEPTION
This year, Fremont Studios was transformed into a dazzling celebration of 120 years of Mountaineers history. Towering floor-to-ceiling projections filled one wall of the reception space with archival images and videos spanning generations of adventure. Guests watched in awe as some of our earliest predecessors appeared on screen climbing in full-length dresses, leather shoes, and ties, before the timeline advanced through the decades, revealing evolving gear, and ever-expanding activities such as bikepacking, packrafting, canyoning, youth programs, and more.
As guests moved throughout the ballroom, they were invited to engage directly with The Mountaineers strategic priorities: to LEAD innovation in outdoor education, ENGAGE a vibrant community of outdoor enthusiasts, and ADVOCATE on behalf of the natural world.
In one corner, a map of Washington’s Roadless Areas, currently facing threats to long-standing protections, invited guests to mark their favorite places to recreate. It was a powerful visual reminder of the connection between personal outdoor experiences and the advocacy work needed to protect the places we cherish.
Nearby, 120 years of Mountaineers history was illustrated through the growth rings of a tree, flagged with key milestones from the organization’s past. Guests were encouraged to add their own starting point in The Mountaineers journey, revealing that some attendees had been part of the community since before we helped champion passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964.
Some of our most promising future leaders from The Mountaineers Adventure Club (MAC) brought youthful energy to the room, challenging guests to a spirited rope coiling competition. These high school students from Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia also stepped bravely out of their comfort zones to rally support and recruit “bets” for their teams ahead of the evening’s on-stage relay race.
Elsewhere, guests posed in a lively photo booth for printed keepsakes, browsed auction packages featuring outdoor gear, Mountaineers Books, and experiences ranging from local climbs to international adventures, or gathered around a “fire” in the cozy Campsite Corner where conversations buzzed with prompts from our Campfire Stories Deck, recent trips and anticipation for summer plans ahead.
Honoring 120 Years of Impact
By 7pm, our emcees for the evening, Michelle Millman and auctioneer Fred Northup Jr. brought the Silent Auction to a close and the curtains parted to welcome everyone into the glamorous dining room to find their seats. To open the night Fred and Michelle thanked the Gala Co-Chairs, Roger Mellem, who was present and Rich Draves, who couldn’t be in attendance due to being, “in true Mountaineers form,” at Mount Everest Basecamp!
The program kicked off appropriately with the Secretary of the Mountaineers Board of Directors, Danielle Graham, gracefully bicycling around the stage, trailing a birthday balloon, hot off the heels of a bikepacking field trip from earlier in the day. Danielle began by respectfully acknowledging that the event was taking place on the ancestral land of the Pacific Northwest Indian Tribes and recognizing some esteemed guests in attendance, including Mayor Mary Miller of North Bend and two of our past Gala honorees, Dianne Roberts and Steve Swenson.
In the spirit of celebrating The Mountaineers 120-year birthday, she noted some of our collective accomplishments from the past year, including 200,000 volunteer hours, (equivalent to 100 full time positions!) 38 books published, 17,000 messages to lawmakers in support of public lands, and outdoor opportunities provided for more than 13,000 kids! Those numbers tell an inspiring story, but the true impact lies in the lives changed through mentorship, education, stewardship, and community.
Remembering Jim Whittaker
Next, Danielle welcomed Governor Bob Ferguson to the stage to honor “a true giant of a man and a Mountaineers member for 82 of our 120 years,” Jim Whittaker.
Governor Ferguson spoke before Jim’s family in attendance, including his wife, Dianne Roberts, and sons Leif and Joss, along with their partners. Rather than focus only on Jim’s legendary accomplishments, the Governor reflected on something equally powerful: the way Big Jim made people feel.
He recalled once telling Jim that while he wasn't really a climber, he "tried to scramble up peaks once in a while" and had recently climbed a minor peak in the Pasaytan Wilderness, to which Jim opened his arms wide and exclaimed with delighted enthusiasm, "You're climbers!"
“It would be as if we met Michael Jordan, told him we played JV basketball in high school, and he responded, ‘You're ballers!’” the Governor joked.
Dianne Roberts listening to Governor Ferguson's tribute to her husband Jim Whittaker.
But beneath the humor was genuine admiration. Governor Ferguson shared that the Governor’s Mansion includes one room the current resident may decorate personally, and he chose to fill that space with photographs of Jim alongside photos of his own family. He wanted everyone who entered the room to see those images and know one simple truth: Jim Whittaker was his hero.
At the conclusion of the Governor’s remarks, a slideshow of photographs provided by Dianne Roberts and the Whittaker family celebrating Jim’s extraordinary life played across the room.
The First-Ever MAC RAC
From there, all of the Mountaineers Lifetime Members in attendance, those who have been members for at least 50 years, were recognized to enthusiastic applause. Then it was time for the evening’s most anticipated and energetic debut: the first ever MAC Relay Adventure Challenge - the MAC RAC.
The MAC RAC or MAC Relay Adventure Challenge is a high-intensity relay that put our students' mountain skills to the ultimate test. Two teams of MAC competitors, Team Cascades in red and Team Olympics in blue, battled it out to crown the fastest rope coiler, the most efficient boulder pad stacker, and the quickest to prusik to the top of a fixed rope. All of the MAC RAC gear was generously donated by our partner Black Diamond represented by Roger Strong who provided lively play-by-play commentary during the exciting race. The room erupted with cheers as youth participants showcased teamwork, skill, and confidence they’ve developed through their Mountaineers experiences. Ultimately Team Cascades claimed the inaugural championship and one lucky guest who backed the winning team took home a $600 gift certificate to Canlis. The MAC RAC was more than a race — it was a joyful reminder that today’s youth participants are tomorrow’s leaders, stewards, and adventurers. This year's MAC RAC also raised over $20,000 to support Mountaineers programs.
Investing in Opportunity
While an incredible meal from Kaspars Catering was served, more than 100 sponsors and donors were acknowledged for their generous contributions which amounted to 60 meaningful auction packages for the Online, Silent and Live auctions, with all proceeds going toward The Mountaineers. Then an energetic Live Auction ensued, raising more than $48,000 toward the evening’s goal.
The next powerful moment of the evening came during the Raise the Paddle appeal, when guests gave generously to expand scholarships, outdoor education, leadership development, publishing, and programs that help more people experience belonging in the outdoors.
Mission speaker Dr. R. Dennis Eller, an educator, veteran, certified guide, Rescue Technician with Tacoma Mountain Rescue, member of the Cherokee Nation, and a Mountaineers member since 2017, shared how a Mountaineers scholarship helped open doors that shaped his path into leadership, rescue work, teaching, and service.
“On an ascent of Mt. Rainier, I remember standing above the Ingraham Ice Falls and watching the sunrise create a pyramid shadow cast toward my home in Steilacoom. As I stood there, I realized that while I was one of only a handful of people lucky enough to witness it, I stood on the shoulders of thousands of others who had come before me, following in their bootpaths. I was overcome by a feeling that not only do I need to protect this space, but also to find a way to help others experience a moment like this.”
Dr. Eller, a Mountaineers scholarship recipient, is a powerful example of how one opportunity can ripple outward to benefit entire communities. He closed with “a scholarship opened that door for me. Without that opportunity, my path into leadership, rescue, teaching, and service might have looked very different. Tonight, you can do that for someone else.”
In response to Dennis’s moving words, our community responded and raised our paddles high. With contributions ranging from $100 to $25,000, 183 donors raised more than $305,000 to Adventure with Purpose in the span of 20 minutes.
Honoring Erik Weihenmayer
The evening concluded with the presentation of the 2026 Adventure with Purpose Award to Erik Weihenmayer. Presented by Graham Zimmerman, the award recognized Erik’s extraordinary accomplishments and his work helping others overcome barriers through outdoor adventure and leadership.
When Erik took the stage, guests may have expected stories centered on his historic accomplishments, including becoming the first blind person to summit Mount Everest. Instead, Erik chose to shine the spotlight elsewhere: on the courage, resilience, humor, and transformation of the people he has worked alongside through the nonprofit he cofounded, No Barriers. The result was a keynote that was deeply moving, often hilarious, and profoundly human.
Throughout his speech, Erik shared stories of individuals who had faced life-altering hardship and discovered that their greatest battles were not always external, but internal. Again and again, he returned to the idea that while obstacles in the world are real, the strength within us is often greater than anything standing in our way.
Erik reflected on his Mount Everest summit and the guide who helped make it possible, Pasquale Scaturro. After safely descending from the top of the world, Erik expected celebration and reflection. Instead, Pasquale offered wisdom that would shape Erik’s life in a far deeper way: don’t make Everest the greatest thing you ever do. He said, you can hang your photos and you can display your trophies, but if you live only in those moments, they become a mausoleum. The real work, Pasquale told him, is to keep looking forward. That mindset became the seed of No Barriers, an organization built not around what has already happened, but helping people imagine what is still possible.
Erik closed with a message that resonated deeply with The Mountaineers community. The point, he said, is not getting to a place where you can do everything on your own. The point is to do it together. It was a fitting conclusion for a night centered on community, mentorship, access, and shared adventure and a reminder that no summit, literal or metaphorical, is reached alone.
Thank You to our Community
To everyone who attended, volunteered, sponsored, donated, bid, cheered, and helped bring this event to life: thank you.
Because of this community, The Mountaineers continues to create pathways to confidence, belonging, conservation, and connection through the outdoors.
One hundred and twenty years in, the future looks bright.
We’ll see you next year on April 24, 2027.
Special Thanks
We would like to thank Roger Mellem and Rich Draves, our 2026 Gala Co-Chairs for their work supporting this event as well as our Table Hosts and Table Captains for filling the room with generosity. We also want to extend a huge thanks to our sponsors, auction donors, and event and beverage sponsors, without whom the Gala would not have been possible.
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