From Oskar Blues:
Longmont, CO--The Oskar Blues CAN'd Aid Foundation recently partnered with Grassroots Outdoor Alliance to raise $50,000 for ColoRADo flood recovery at a fundraising event held at The Big Red Barn in Highland Meadows in Windsor. Grassroots' weeklong Colorado summit was held in Loveland in June, and the party, which brought together lovers of craft beer, the great outdoors and philanthropy, was one of the highlights of the trade show.
"We always incorporate a local charitable component to our shows, and when we became aware of The CAN'd Aid Foundation's incredible work with Colorado flood relief, as well as their focus on outdoor pursuits through their Treads & Trails programs, we knew we had a great fit," said Hope Buttitta, Director of Operations and Finance for Grassroots.
Buttitta and CAN'd Aid director Diana Ralston began working on the partnership in early March and were blown away by the event's success. The 'Dusters, as well known for their philanthropic passion for giving back as they are for their unique blend of jam-grass, put on a stellar show. With perfect weather and plenty of Oskar Blues brews on hand, the party was a true celebration of all things outdoors.
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is a group of independent outdoor retailers organized to serve the needs of its members, who operate over 100 independent specialty outdoor stores throughout North America. The organization is based in Asheville, North Carolina. CAN'd Aid and Grassroots connected through a mutual relationship with Colorado's Grammy-nominated bluegrass rock band, The Infamous Stringdusters, who performed at the event.
Ralston and Buttitta set a fundraising goal of $15,000, earmarked for rebuilding multi-use trails and the construction of new trails in flood-affected areas in Lyons, Longmont and Boulder, and reached out to Summit attendees in early April. By the time the event rolled around, they had commitments totaling nearly $12,500 from retailers and manufacturers. The party with the 'Dusters brought in an additional $7,500 through individual donations with venerable outdoor apparel company Patagonia kicking in another $5,000.
"It was awesome to see the generosity and passion these folks had for our local communities. As soon as people arrived, they headed straight to the CAN'd Aid tent with their wallets open" Ralston said.
With Oskar Blues Brewery's commitment to match every dollar raised by CAN'd Aid, the event more than doubled the original fundraising goal. Funds will be distributed to local trail advocacy and trail building organization like Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (BMA) in the coming months. CAN'd Aid & Grassroots are already in discussions regarding additional collaborations to further their mutual goals in outdoor recreation and sustainability.
0 comments (click to read or post):
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment...I do moderate each comment so it may not appear immediately...and please be nice! You can also comment using Disqus (below) or even comment directly on Facebook (bottom).