REI Donates $9,500 to Trail Care

On September 20th I travelled to REI’s Bedford, PA Distribution Center to accept a check for $9,500. Chris Joyce, REI’s Director of Operations presented the check to me in support of KTA’s volunteer Trail Care weekend programs to maintain and build trails in Pennsylvania.

In remarks before REI’s employees I explained how the grant will pay for the purchase of tools, materials, and t-shirts for volunteers and other costs associated with maintaining trails. I also said that last year over 220 KTA volunteers donated over 3,800 hours of their time and labor to trail maintenance. I thanked the employees for REI’s generosity in helping KTA meet its goals to protect and preserve hiking trails in Pennsylvania.

Chris Joyce spoke about REI's passion for the outdoors and their outdoor customers. He said that REI’s core purpose is to inspire, educate and outfit people for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship. REI’s grant to KTA in support of Trail Care is evidence of their passion and stewardship.

Jill Latuch, REI’s Bedford Distribution Center Outreach Specialist told me about REI’s commitment to getting people outside and leading healthy active lives, caring for the planet by protecting shared natural spaces, and engaging others in making a difference. She said stewardship is also how REI operates the co-op, finding ways to improve the environmental performance of their business while striving to generate positive environmental, social and financial results. REI, the nation’s largest consumer cooperative, has more than three million active members.

REI employees in retail stores, distribution centers and headquarters each play an important role in REI’s efforts through volunteering for service projects, recycling, identifying opportunities for efficiencies in REI operations, and much more. Twenty-nine REI employees volunteered this year at the KTA Trail Crew week on the Mid State Trail in June.

Earlier this year in applying for the REI grant I wrote in part:

“Preserving Pennsylvania’s footpaths is the key mission of the Keystone Trails Association. We are a powerful voice for trail protection and preservation in Pennsylvania. We build trails, maintain trails and hike over 3,000 miles of trails in Pennsylvania. Each year over 3 million Pennsylvanians take a hike on some section of the trails that we have built and maintained.

“Our volunteers have the desire to give back to the trails. Over 200 volunteers in 2009 have been thoroughly trained on various types of trail maintenance protocols. On-the-trail training includes proper techniques for brushwhacking, loping and blaze painting to name a few. We will continue that training in 2010.

“With more than 3,000 miles of designated hiking trails on public lands and private lands, Pennsylvania’s hiking community has established one of the finest networks of trails in the country. Public perception is that these trails will be around forever. But nature works each year to reclaim our trails through storms that blow down trees and erode trails, aggressive growing seasons that obscure our paths with vegetation and painted blazes that fade over time. Additionally, manmade development often causes us to relocate trails.

“There is no better way for hikers to give back to the trails of Pennsylvania than volunteering to work at a Keystone Trails Association’s Trail Care event.”

Many thanks to REI for their generous support.