Dear Friends and Family,

I’m involved in a fantastic program to help kids, and I hope you’ll help sponsor me, since 90 percent of every dollar we raise will go directly to help kids.

The program, called Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT), trains adult youth-workers in outdoor skills and then makes available, for free, all the equipment their kids will need to go camping. It’s the difference between going and not going for almost all inner-city kids. Last year, thanks to this program, 1,300 kids took trips that were life-changing experiences.

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To raise the money to train leaders and buy equipment and vehicles, BAWT runs Climbing for Kids, which takes adults on paid or sponsored climbs. I’m working on raising sponsorships for my climb. This August I will be climbing the 14,411 ft. Mt. Rainier, the highest volcano in the US! Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the US, outside of Alaska, and it is the North American training ground for the biggest mountains in the world.

Why am I doing this? Because I’m really inspired by what BAWT does and how they do it. And I am confident I can do the climb. So here I am, looking to my friends and family members to help me. The money I raise will make wilderness trips available to under-served youth — kids that have never slept under the stars, seen a deer in the wild, or jumped into a mountain lake after a long hike. My climb alone will make it possible for 50 kids to experience wilderness.

There have been many studies done about the effects of such experiences on kids. According to the State Environmental Education Round Table, programs with a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach to learning produce young people who:

- Experience increased engagement and enthusiasm for learning and have greater pride and ownership in their accomplishments.
 – Experience a marked reduction in discipline and classroom management problems.
 – Also, students who are encouraged to learn outdoors develop an attachment to place and begin to exhibit environmental-stewardship behavior.

Please consider supporting 50 kids by helping me achieve my goal. Here’s what your support will create for a young person who needs it:

$25 buys three fuel canisters to cook warm meals in the backcountry.
$50 gases up our van and takes 10 kids to a local state park.
$150 trains a youth worker in Wilderness First Aid to ensure safe backcountry trips for kids. (The trainings are among the most important keys to the program.)
$500 adds four new, cozy sleeping bags to our library. (Providing a free gear “library” is the other important key to the program.)
$1,000 gets 17 kids outdoors on unique nature experiences — from day hikes to backpacking trips.

I am committed to raising a minimum of $3,800 to help BAWT get youth outdoors. I’ve already made a start towards my goal. Could you make a tax-deductible donation in my name? Whatever you can give will help — it all adds up!
DONATE TODAY

You can also donate through the mail with the enclosed form and envelope. (Encouragement and cheers are also welcome!)

Please check out the Climbing for Kids web site to learn more about BAWT and the climb at www.climbingforkids.org.

With heartfelt thanks,

Sylvia