Trail running and outdoor adventures are not always available to everyone, especially those in disinvested communities where access to the outdoors is not a given. Big City Mountaineer’s goal is to change that, one step and adventure at a time.

For nearly two decades, Big City Mountaineer’s (BCM) Summit for Someone (SFS) program has supported its mission to provide transformative outdoor experiences for youth by mobilizing outdoor enthusiasts in adventure-based fundraising campaigns. It is now taking that mission to another level with its Adventure for Someone (AFS) program. 

In BCM’s original SFS campaign, participants fundraise a specific amount for BCM and the organization books them on a guided summit of a major peak. Think Mt. Hood, Grand Teton, Mt. Whitney. Each climb has its own required fundraising amount and timeline and will be with other BCM fundraisers. It promoted as a great way to meet others who are passionate about trail running, hiking and increasing access to the outdoors and supporting BCM. 

Now comes Adventure for Someone (AFS), a the more personalized counterpart to SFS. Basically it is a fully customizable opportunity to combine any outdoor activity with a fundraising goal of any amount.

Those in the running and outdoor communities can either hold their own event or donate to an existing AFS campaign as an opportunity to harness their passion for the outdoors and to extend the benefits of nature to today’s generation of young people, particularly those who face increased and systemic barriers to equitable access. It is important to note that 100 percent of proceeds support Big City Mountaineers’ youth programs. In the past, people have done everything from a thru-hike to a commitment to spending 1000 hours outside. 

“If you want to give back to your community and give the chance for a youth to experience the benefits of the outdoors, please reach out,” urges BCM’s Linnea Delucchi. “If you have an adventure planned – a race, a long run, a mileage goal this summer – turn it into an Adventure for Someone.

“Check an iconic peak off your bucket list and do a Summit for Someone,” she adds. “Not only can adventure fundraising add meaning to your adventure, but it increases access to the outdoors for youth from disinvested communities. It can make a huge difference in the lives of others.”

Big City Mountaineer is headquartered in Colorado’s Front Range and has regional hubs on both coasts and several locations in between. It works in communities on the ancestral territories the Ute and Arapahoe, (Denver, CO), the Sioux and Anishinibawaki (Minneapolis, MN), the Ohlone, Ramaytush, Chochenyo, and Muwekma (San Francisco Bay Area), the Duwamish (Seattle, WA), the Massachusett and Pawtucket (Boston, MA), and the Muscogee Creek and Shawnee (Birmingham, AL).

BCM has been providing outdoor experiences for youth from disinvested communities for 35 years helping the youth it serves who face increased barriers to outdoor access and are demographically underrepresented in outdoor spaces. Since 1990, BCM has provided over 45,000 nights under the stars to over 11,000 youth who might not have otherwise had such an opportunity.

To get involved: [email protected]