360 Adventure Collective Announces Recipients of 2019 Outdoor Opportunity Grants

April 17, 2019

Grant supports programs designed to expose youth to the outdoors

Asheville, NC — April 17, 2019 — 360 Adventure Collective, the most-trusted association for independent and non-independent outdoor sales reps on the East Coast, has announced the recipients of the 2019 Outdoor Opportunity Grants, an initiative to support programs that get young people outdoors.

First implemented in 2012, the Outdoor Opportunity Grants provide a one-time, needed funds to support programs designed to engage youth in outdoor activities. Organizations that receive Outdoor Opportunity Grant funding fall within the geographic range that 360 Adventure Collective serves—namely the regions of New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeast. With an annual budget of $4,500, recipients are eligible to receive a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $1,500 per program, per region.

“The Board of Directors for 360 Adventure Collective has been very committed and supportive of the Grant program that is focused on getting youth outdoors,” says Debbie Motz, Executive Director of 360 Adventure Collective. “It has been extremely rewarding to help expose young individuals up and down the east coast to the wonders of the outside world. This program started in 2012 and it is good to see what a difference 360 Adventures Collective has made in helping 501 (c) 3 nonprofit youth focused programs grow, develop, and increase awareness of the outdoors.”

This year’s recipients are: Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, of Raleigh, NC; the Museum of Science and History, of Jacksonville, FL; Big City Mountaineers, of Golden, CO; Girls Inc. of Worcester, of Worcester, MA; Teens to Trails, of Brunswick, ME; and JUMP, Inc., of Harvard, MA. 

While these programs serve different communities across the country, they are united by the common goal of stoking enthusiasm and passion for the outdoors in young people. One such program, the Dragonfly Detectives program of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, engages underserved 4^th through 8^th grade students in outdoor exploration and scientific inquiry. “Programs such as Dragonfly Detectives build an interest of the outdoors in children,” says Catherine Clark, Head of Grants for the Museum. “This opens them to a lifetime of enjoyment of the outdoors through hiking, camping, boating, fishing, rock climbing, etc., and advocacy of the protection of natural resources for future generations.”

To learn more about 360 Adventure Collective, visit https://360adventurecollective.org/ or email Dan Arnett at dan@darbycommunications.com. 

About 360 Adventure Collective

Created in 2017, from the merger of the EORA (Eastern Outdoor Reps Association) and NESR (New England Sports Reps), 360 Adventure Collective boasts a combined 35 years of success in connecting the most comprehensive offerings in outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and gear to the outdoor industry’s retailers who matter the most. By hosting smaller, more conveniently located expos and markets than the national alternatives, 360 Adventure Collective is the traveling sales rep’s most trusted support system for maximizing connections with retailers and vendors. 360 Adventure Collective has over 675 members with 14 annual shows, and services over 2,900 retailers. For more information or to become a member visit https://360adventurecollective.org/