Roanoke Parks and Recreation and Roanoke Outside Foundation Awarded Grants to Fund New Outdoor Adventure Club

The Roanoke Outside Foundation and Roanoke Parks and Recreation have been awarded $13,000 in grants from Keen and The North Face to launch the Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC).

This new program will focus on underserved youths, making outdoor recreation more accessible regardless of socioeconomic background. The goal of the program is to create more outdoor opportunities for urban youth and to foster a life-long engagement with nature, stewardship, and community.

The Outdoor Adventure Club will work with youth ages 11-13 and builds on the Outdoor Explorer Program which works with children ages 8-10. The Outdoor Explorer Program began in 2016 and provides children in underserved communities access to the outdoors through activities and mentorship in a collaborative program sponsored by the Roanoke Outside Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virginia (BBBS), and Roanoke Parks and Recreation.

The Outdoor Adventure Club is a continuation of that program, serving children ages 11-13. This 12-month program will offer one-on-one mentoring, as well as transportation, instruction, and appropriate gear at no cost to participants. Activities will include rock climbing, backpacking, skiing, canoeing, snowshoeing, caving, and mountain biking. The program will start with 10 participants plus mentors. BBBS will select participants from a pool of applicants.

“There is an obvious need and benefit to providing outdoor opportunities for all children,” said Pete Eshelman, director of the Roanoke Outside Foundation. “We are extremely excited about expanding our youth initiatives to reach more kids and the value that comes from a partnership with great outdoor companies such as The North Face and Keen.”

“Our department recognized the need to reach a group that we weren’t currently serving. After witnessing the success of the Outdoor Explorer Program, the OAC seemed like the next logical step,” Matt Allenbaugh, Outdoor Recreation Supervisor, said. “Thankfully, The North Face and Keen felt the same way and have given us the opportunity to expose these kids to the wonderful outdoor resources our community offers.”

The program kicks off Sept. 28 with a free public showing of An American Ascent at Market Square. This film highlights the first all-African-American ascent of Denali, and the department invites the public to attend this culturally significant film.

“This film highlighting the major achievements of an underrepresented population is the perfect way to kick off the OAC and emphasize the importance of outdoor access to all,” Allenbaugh said.