Paradox Sports announced that The North Face has awarded a 2016 Explore Fund grant to support their adaptive climbing experiences in National Parks. The grant from The North Face Explore Fund will specifically support the organization’s commemorative 9/11 trip to Yosemite National Park and a new program coming spring 2017 to Joshua Tree National Park.
“Our goal is to make climbing in our National Parks accessible for everyone and this grant makes it possible for Paradox Sports to not only improve our already popular Yosemite Experience, but to establish new empowering opportunities for people with disabilities in Joshua Tree next year,” said Mike Neustedter, Executive Director for Paradox Sports.
To celebrate the National Park Service Centennial, Paradox Sports is activating a brand new program in the spring of 2017 in Joshua Tree National Park with the goal of bringing people to play, learn and serve in these spaces. This trip is a first of its kind program that teaches adaptive climbers the technical skills they need to increase their independence as climbers. The grant will also be supporting expansion of the annual Yosemite National Park Experience which brings veterans, as well as non-veterans with disabilities, together for a long weekend of climbing over 9/11 in one of the most iconic climbing destinations in the country.
The North Face selected a total of 45 nonprofits that engage their participants in opportunities that inspire a lifelong love of the outdoors. Selected programs use outdoor exploration as a catalyst for positive personal or societal change, to encourage participants to try new outdoor activities, and promote environmental stewardship values. The Daily Camera reported that the grant was in the form of $15,000.
“Encouraging people to experience and enjoy the outdoors has been our mission at The North Face since we were founded 50 years ago,” said Ann Krcik, senior director of Outdoor Exploration at The North Face. “We are proud to support these outstanding programs that expose participants to the beauty and joy of the outdoors. Through these Explore Fund grants, we are building a community of outdoor explorers and inspiring people to love and protect the places where we play.”
Paradox Sports was established in 2007 to revolutionize lives through adaptive climbing opportunities that defy convention. Paradox Sports works to identify, foster and grow communities of adaptive climbing and mountaineering athletes across the country. In 2015, the program impacted over 450 people nationally through adaptive climbing experiences and the cutting edge adaptive climbing trainings in 16 different states. Paradox Sports doesn’t ask what you don’t have, we say “show us what you got!”
As part of its mission to start a global movement of outdoor exploration, The North Face introduced Explore Fund (www.explorefund.org) in 2010 and the program has since provided more than $2.2 million in grants to organizations committed to inspiring people to explore the outdoors and care for the environment.
To learn more about Paradox Sports and our commemorative 9/11 Yosemite Trip or the new Joshua Tree camp, please visit www.paradoxsports.org.
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