Big City Mountaineers Names Smartwool ‘Partner of the Year’

Big City Mountaineers (BCM), which provides wilderness experiences for under-resourced youth, will honor Smartwool as its inaugural 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, said the organization.

Smartwool’s Advocacy Fund 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.

“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.”

In addition to the gift from the Advocacy fund, Smartwool employee Joelle Hamm raised $2,300 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, Oregon

Youth Program Instructor: Adam Long, Minnesota

Youth Agency Partner: Environmental Learning for Kids, Colorado

Land Manager: Nathan Fletcher, Oregon

Summit For Someone Participant: Scott and Kirsty Thorsteinson, Washington

Board Member: Ben Gipson, California

National Council Member: Deborah Beggan