2007 Annual Report - Big City Mountaineers

2007 Year in Review

From Mark Godley, Executive Director

In 2007, BCM was fortunate to work with over 250 teens, a 70% increase from 2006, and each one showed a resilience, optimism and an outlook for his/her future that is nothing short of remarkable.

79-28. An embarrassing rout. On a Wednesday night in December, much past my bedtime, I found myself winching as I watched a couple college students punish another team in the finals of an intramural basketball tournament at Cal State – East Bay. Although I felt guilty in cheering every time a turnover resulted in a fastbreak which resulted in yet another well choreographed hoop, my cheering wasn’t for the team running up the score but for the young man running the floor. I had met Tommy 6 years ago on a BCM trip to Yosemite and the same beaming smile and howl that was echoing off the gymnasium wall today had been what I first noticed about him back then. Tommy has gone out of his way to stay in touch with me over the years and I have found his resilience, optimism and outlook nothing short of inspiring. Without a family to provide the typical safety net, Tommy had spent his late teen years surviving lower on Maslow’s hierarchy than many of us. Keeping a roof over his head, a few coins in his pocket, and some food in his stomach have occupied most of his last few years. Whatever his circumstance though, his focus whenever we spoke or saw each other was always about me and BCM rather than his fragile circumstances. He would always want to know how BCM was going, and how my wife and kids were doing rather than dwell on his situation. It was only through careful and respectful prodding that I would find out the latest potentially life-altering hurdle he had just artfully avoided or was currently facing. Despite wave after wave of challenges, Tommy has stayed committed to getting his college degree and rising above what life had thrown at him. So to see Tommy near midnight flashing up and down the court as the maestro of the pummeling of an opposing team during this basketball game couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Every cry that erupted from his gut and first pumping that followed another series of turnover-to-layup sequence seems fittingly appropriate to anyone knowing Tommy’s background. Every time a celebration poured out of him, I couldn’t help but see the symbolism of his elation. Despite the odds, he was winning. Throw your best at Tommy, because not only could he take it, he would flourish. 79-28 never felt so right, so good, or so deserved. Although Tommy’s particular circumstance is more dramatic than most BCM teens, his story of success in the face of adversity is surprisingly common. In 2007, BCM was fortunate to work with over 250 teens, a 70% increase from 2006, and each one showed a resilience, optimism and an outlook for his/her future that is nothing short of remarkable. Each left our program armed with a few more skills and the ability to better address whatever hardship or challenge might lie ahead for each of them. I welcome you joining me in wishing that a few more of our teens manage some glorious routs of their own. With thanks for your continued involvement and support, Mark

The Big City Mountaineers Program

An Overview

Program Goals

The goal of Big City Mountaineers, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is to provide urban teenage youth with challenging, safe outdoor experiences designed to build self-esteem and positively impact their beliefs about themselves and their relationship with others.

Program Outcomes

Using the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets model, BCM’s program has been shown to improve our teens’ beliefs with regard to positive values, social competencies, positive identity, and community support.

BCM, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is devoted to providing significant mentoring during wilderness trips for urban teens participating in existing youth development programs. The core of the BCM program is a weeklong experience, the focus of which is a five-day backpacking or canoeing trip with an equal number of adult and teen participants of the same gender. While immersed in a pristine wilderness in the company of caring adults, the teens progress along an emotional journey using the framework of our TEAM curriculum. The primary attributes which make the BCM program unique are: a focus on partnering exclusively with youth organizations serving teens from economically or socially depressed backgrounds; a single gender format; our commitment to an equal ratio of teens to adults; and our heavy reliance on volunteers to deliver our program in wilderness areas. We choose to partner with existing youth development agencies rather than sourcing the teens directly because we believe combined support and resources better address the ongoing needs of under-resourced youth. BCM’s commitment to an equal ratio of adults to teens is quite simply, for the sake of the teens. Many of the youth that BCM works with do not have the kind of personal attention from caring adults that they need and deserve. Our one-on-one format seeks to provide the most personal interaction between team members and teens as possible. BCM relies heavily on volunteers to deliver the bulk of our programming while in the backcountry. We are able to do this safely and effectively because of our TEAM concept by which individuals are evaluated, trained and assigned to a trip where their particular skills will be best utilized and complimented by the other participants. While teams differ slightly in how all roles are fulfilled, each includes: a Team Leader (who has extensive experience leading groups in the wilderness); a Youth Leader (who is a staff member of the youth organization and has an existing relationship with the teens); and several Team Members (adult volunteers who have been indentified as being an appropriate fit for the BCM program). BCM has been delivering programs to at-risk teens since 1989. With the continued support of our youth agency partners, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and many others, we hope to continue to touch the lives of more teens for years to come.

“

Participating Youth Program Partners California College Track East Oakland Boxing Association East Oakland Youth Development Center Girls, Inc. of Alameda County Male Involvement Program Outdoor Outreach Project Hope Real Options for City Kids Sequoia Teen Resource Center Urban Services YMCA Colorado A Kidz Hope CityWILD Colorado UpLIFT Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation Colorado Youth at Risk Colorado Youth for a Change Denver Kids Lost and Found, Inc.

Florida Florida Sheriffs Youth Villa Illinois Chicago Youth Program Christopher House Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club Youth Organization Umbrella YMCA Minnesota Urban Ventures Leadership Foundation Oregon Big Brothers Big Sisters of Portland Washington Boys and Girls Club of King County Seattle Community College Wisconsin Boys and Girls Club of Dane County Rawhide Boys Ranch

I loved this trip. It was a bonding/ healing experience for us. We shared and cried together.

”

Trail Systems California

Yosemite National Park Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Sierra National Forest Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Colorado

White River National Forest Gunnison National Forest

Minnesota

Superior National Forest / Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Wyoming

Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest

Washington

Wenatchee National Forest *BCM operates on both USDA Forest Service and National Park Service land via Special Use Permits.

Youth Program Locations

2007 Trip Stats

Minneapolis, MN Seattle, WA

Madison, WI Chicago, IL

Portland, OR

Gender of teens

Female Male Total

Teen Ethnicity

55% 45% 251

African American 45% Latino 38% Caucasian 12% Asian/Pacific Islander 2% Other/Mixed 2%

East Palo Alto, CA Oakland, CA Redwood City, CA San Leandro, CA San Fracisco, CA

San Diego, CA

Denver, CO Colorado Springs, CO

Locations Teens Volunteers Californa 103 52 Colorado 79 41 Pacific Northwest 15 8 Boundary Waters 54 16 Total 251 117

Youth Org. Leaders 33 17 4 15 69

Bartow, FL

Team Leaders 20 16 4 10 50

Total Trips 20 16 4 11 51

2007 Program Impact Volunteers, funders, and others sometimes garner the courage to ask us a question that is on everyone’s mind, ‘How do you really know this BCM stuff works?’ Teens leave our program excited, happy and thankful, but couldn’t this just be an ‘emotional high’ of some sort? Isn’t BCM just a ‘fun’ experience rather than our claim of youth development? For the past three years BCM has been working hard to scientifically assess the exact impact of our program on our teen participants, using one of the most widely recognized, third-party youth development measurement systems. It is extremely exciting and encouraging to report that for the third year in a row, the results of the 40

Development Assets survey of our teen participants are convincing and real. BCM teens are leaving our program with a new vision of themselves and their relationships with others, the exact goals of the mission that our program was designed to serve for close to twenty years ago. As impressive as our results might be, a concern we often have is the lasting impact of the BCM experience on our teen participants after they leave our program. During 2007, BCM took the bold step of surveying post-program teens a second time, 3-4 months after they ended their BCM relationship. With over a 35% response rate to this post-program survey, its results were equally impressive – we saw little waning of impact across the

categories that saw positive results while teens were in the BCM program. Our organization will continue to hold itself of gauging impact using nationally-recognized, youth development methodologies while using the resulting data to make deliberate and purposeful future programming decisions. Want to learn more? Feel free to download the entire measurement outcomes report at the BCM website.

“I felt like the adults and teens on the trip were part of my family.”

40 DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS MODEL EXTERNAL ASSETS

Support

Empowerment

Boundaries & Expectations

Constructive Use of Time

ASSET NAME

ASSET DEFINATION

Family support Positive family communication Other adult relationships Caring neighborhood Caring school climate Parent involvement in schooling Community values youth Youth as resources Service to others Safety Family boundaries School boundaries Neighborhood boundaries Adult role models Positive peer influence High expectations Creative activities Youth programs Religious community Time at home

Family life provides high levels of love and support. Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parent(s). Young person receives support from three or more nonparent adults. Young person experiences caring neighbors. School provides a caring, encouraging environment. Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school. Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth. Young people are given useful roles in the community. Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week. Young person feels safe at home, at school, and in the neighborhood. Family has clear rules and consequences, and monitors the young person’s whereabouts. School provides clear rules and consequences. Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young people’s behavior. Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior. Young person’s best friends model responsible behavior. Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well. Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts. Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in community organizations. Young person spends one hour or more per week in activities in a religious institution. Young person is out with friends “with nothing special to do” two or fewer nights per week.

Achievement motivation School engagement Homework Bonding to school Reading for pleasure Caring Equality and social justice Integrity Honesty Responsibility Restraint Planning and decision making Interpersonal competence Cultural competence Resistance skills Peaceful conflict resolution Personal power Self-esteem Sense of purpose Positive view of personal

Young person is motivated to do well in school. Young person is actively engaged in learning. Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day. Young person cares about her or his school. Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week. Young person places high value on helping other people. Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty. Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs. Young person “tells the truth even when it is not easy.” Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility. Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs. Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices. Young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills. Young person has knowledge of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds. Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations. Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently. Young person feels he or she has control over “things that happen to me.” Young person reports having a high self-esteem. Young person reports that “my life has a purpose.” Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.

INTERNAL ASSETS

T0P 3 BCM IMPACT ASSET TYPES

Commitment to Learning

Positive Values

Social Competencies

Positive Identity

2007 Program

Highlights Program Growth 2007 was a hugely successful year for BCM in terms of program delivery. We were able to involve over 250 young people in our weeklong summer programs, a 70% increase from 2006. During 2007 BCM also completed the transition from measuring our program delivery in terms of “trips” to the more sophisticated system of “program days”. Using program days as our standard for measuring growth, we saw a 50% increase in program days delivered from 2006. Teen Employment Program Building on the success of our teen employment initiative in 2006, we are excited to announce that we hired 28 alumni teens this year for 3 specialized roles within the organization during 2007: Program Coordinator Our six Program Coordinators in Oakland and Chicago worked alongside BCM staff throughout the summer to conduct orientation meetings with local youth programs, organize gear, and support trip staging. Peer Leader Our Peer Leader program was significantly improved in 2007 and employed 17 alumni BCM youth who took on increased responsibility and leadership in the field during our summer weeklong programs. In order to ensure that they took the role seriously, Peer Leaders this year were formally evaluated by their Team Leaders and asked to attend trips with youth and youth organizations other than their own. The changes to the Peer Leader role were successful and the role is expected to be further expanded in 2008. Summer Intern This position was created in response to the HQ move into downtown Denver and the desire to give alumni youth more opportunities to learn skills and take on increased responsibility within BCM. In 2007 we hired five summer interns in Denver to help both BCM & Summit For Someone HQ staff with summer program delivery, as well as outreach, fundraising, administrative and creative projects. The internship role was very well received and is expected to expand into a year round internship position in 2008. Regional, Community-based Staff The BCM program staff grew to an all-time high this summer with the inclusion of several parttime seasonal positions throughout the country. As BCM’s program has grown throughout the country, our strategy of hiring local staff within the communities we operate has become an effective strategy to maintain the quality of our program and supplement much of our work that is centralized in our Colorado office. Huge thanks to Adam, Bernie, Beth, Christina, Lloyd, Matt and Sarah for your work this past year!

New Headquarters Facility As BCM continues to grow and focus our efforts on creating local hubs that better serve the communities in which we work, the need for the national office to move closer to Denver became apparent. In April of this year, we signed a 3-year lease and moved into our new home at 1667 Vine Street in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood. Our new office has made interacting with our youth agency partners and teen participants much easier. We are thrilled to be here and invite anyone who happens to be in the neighborhood to stop in and visit us. Expanding ‘Professional’ Team Leaders In 2006 BCM began the gradual shift from 100% volunteer-led programs towards a model which compensates Team Leaders for the significant responsibility that BCM places on them. In 2007, BCM took it another step further with the addition of a “Professional Team Leader” category to attract individuals with professional outdoor leadership experience. While less than 30% of 2007 programs were led by Team Leaders that have significant professional experience, it is expected that in future years “professionals” will be leading all of our trips. In order for BCM not to lose some of the extremely valuable and skilled individuals who have led our programming for years, we will be working diligently in 2008 to create a process for current Team Leaders to receive the training necessary to migrate to the ‘professional’ criteria. External Risk Management Audit As part of our continued commitment to ensuring the safety of all participants during BCM programs, we undertook an external safety audit during the 2007 program season, a decision that is unusual for an organization of our small size. The audit looked at our current policies and practices, compared them to industry best practices and methodologies common in organizations significantly larger than ourselves and made recommendations on improvements. Much of our work during 2008 will be focused on incorporating this extremely valuable direction.

2007 Finacial Recap

$904,719

$900,000 $800,000 $700,000

Functional Use of Funds

$684,377

$600,000 $500,000 $473,828

$400,000

Program 85%

$300,000 $247,701

$263,569

$200,000 $100,000

2003 Fundraising 4% Administration 11%

2004

2005

Organizational Revenue

> If you are interested in more finacial information on BCM, please visit www.guidestar.org for copies of our annual IRS returns

2006

2007

Teens Served Annually 300 251

250 200 150 137

100

175

152

100 50 2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Annual Program Days 800

2003

1,096

2004 2005

1,216

2006

1,532 2,312

2007 Annual Program Days

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2007 Team Members Team Leaders

Volunteers

Debra Akin Bert Allen Nicole Blaser Jason Boyle John Carter Paige Chambers Alex Chase Jana Comstock David Curtis Keith Dumbleton Tom Ekman Marti Emch Anders Fristedt Heather Gelhorn Vicki Gerberich Laddie Green Kathleen Heldman Jonathan Higgins Garrick Hileman Syd Jones Julia King Corey Krull Jennifer Lansink Sherry Lomas Chris Love Alexander Lowry Pete Malsed Lesley McClintock Kelsey McDuffee Patrick McGrew Greta Mills Michele Minihane Jen Myers Cristine Noller Greta Oberschmidt John Ptaszynski Bernie Rupe Stellar Sager Drew Saunders Rebecca Shannon Doug Shelton Daniel Smith Erin Sovick Gail Sovick Jessica Spindel Sarah Tateishi Amy Vanden Heuval Jeff Weidman Natalie Whiteman Mary Ziegler

Karen Abrams Nallakkan Arvindan Carrie Bakunas Christopher Ball Nicole Beck Hester Bennett Nathan Bird Pepper Black Amy Blum Robert Brady Nick Brattin Jessica Braun James Brenneman Brie Brower Blair Brumenschenkel Kyle Bry Jeff Burns Mario Campbell Vanessa Canedo Mike Carter Maggie Centers Tim Christion Stacey Clawson Elizabeth Cutright Jorge de Leon Joseph Denis Averill Doering Jessica Downing Karen Falkenstein Blaire Fowler Amanda Fox Roberta Garrison Danny Glaser Marian Goebes Esther Gomez Collin Green Alex Gutt Tim Hallmark Amy Hardy Marcy Haugh Tiffany Hollmes Brian Houghtaling Kiku Johnson Jan Kasl Chris Kearns Mike Keglovits, Sr. Dan Kobler Yu Kuwabara Mike Laurie Lori Lee Julie Lilienkamp Lindsay Lohaus Christopher Love

Alexander Lowry Gustavo Madrigal Marissa Maldonado John Mathews Jennie Mauer Maggie McCormick Curtis McGregor Molly McHard Nathan Meltzer Tom Miller James Mills Angely Miranda Kevin Moeller Jonah Muniz Les Mutz Jen Myers Corinna Noller Amy O’Connell Summer Olson Natalie OrdonezCampbell Jennifer Piehl Sara Plachta-Elliott Christie Porteous Dave Pullin Lori Rabb Paul Radosevich Megan Rainnie Kirsten Richter Alex Roetter Erin Schuldt Ryan Shirilla Jaime Smith Weston Smith Michael Statz Cori Stott Tracy Thompson Kevin Thompson Shannon Thorpe Julio Urbina Joseph Ureno Alison van Dusen Paul Vercruyssen Michael Vorkapich Scott Wareham Robert Warren Laine Wells Amy White Darlene Wilhelm Caren Wittman Kate Woolley Skip Yowell

Youth Organization Leaders Juan Asencio Larry Austin Michelle Austin Brent Bowers Taji Brown Shawnee Bush Robert Castanada Lauren Chapman Carla Cox Drew DeMarie Jamir Dixon Patricia Edge Chris El-Deiry Rosie Galvez Andrea Garcia Caroline Godinez Megan Gould Darla Harrah Adrian Henderson Laura Hillgartner Teodora IldefonzoOlmo Regina Jackson Phil Jensen Jack Jimenez Mike Keglovits Antoinette Kilton Ben Krupnick Lloyd Letellier Lateka McHenry Nikiya McWilliams Maria Mosqueda Jenell Muhyee Mustafa Muhyee Pedro Naranjo Christina Olivares Muriel Patay Curt Peterson Rachel Rabinor Lee Ann Reich

Sundayah Reid Michael Robertson Kwame Rodgers Janna Sargent Hooman Shahrockhi Jeremy Smith Hilary Sohcot Sixto Torres Herman Verner Beth Walker David Watters Jim Watters Bonnie Werstein Christina Wilson Kirsten Wineke John Yap Milad Yazdanpanah Mona Yazdanpanah

Peer Leaders Chris Brandidge Matt Bogard Nicole Davila Ta’Keyha Drumgo Leanor Ibarra Travis Jackson Brianna Jones Marcus Matthews Richland Moland Terry Moland Julio Urbina Rigo Rios Negou Seid Jessica Thompson Mitzi Vargas

“I enjoyed it and I would love to go on another BCM trip.”

Front Country Volunteers Ceci Archer Dave Bartholomew Pete and Barb Barton Matthew Bates Darren Bush Kerry and Sandy Davis Jessica Downing Janette Gamble Chris Haines Kelle Kendrick Jeff Leahy Laura McCormick Pam & Stan Morgan Patrick Mulcahy Monica Rhodes Bonnie Shudy Paul Stoll Sean Wally Rex Waters Jeff Weidman Yosemite National Institute staff

4th Annual Creative Expressions Contest Winners — Youth Winner TEN THOUSAND FEET AND BEYOND Jasmine Williams

Bright lights, quiet nights Taking pictures of the beautiful sights I could not believe we were there At the top inhaling the clean air Up hill and down hill We felt pain that was real Ten thousand feet and beyond Made it to the summit and became strong At night laughter in the tent Telling secrets, becoming friends Scared at first, brave in the end Conquered our fears thanks to BCM Tears flowed and smiles faded But as a team we made it Now its over we ran to the finish Our fears and worries are diminished Comfort zones were stretched We will be and are the best Don’t tell us we can’t cause we know we can Believe in yourself and you can be like us Mountaineers from EOYDC On behalf of the 2007 EOYDC Girls Trip – by Jasmine Williams

Runner-Up BCM Report

Devin Cunningham When I first found out I was going to BCM, I was excited, scared, and very doubtful. Excited because I have never been on a backpacking trip before, and I knew that it would be a great experience for me. I was scared because, I didn’t know anything about the wilderness. I was also afraid of all the bugs and animals. I also had high doubts for myself. I told myself I couldn’t make it up the mountain or do anything, for I was so out of shape. When we got on the trail and started hiking, I felt weak and like I couldn’t do anything. As we kept going along the trail, I got stronger and stronger. It was then I made my first turn around. I ended up being one of the strongest youth that went on the trip. I became stronger mentally and physically. As the days went by, I got to learn more about the people I was hiking with. I learned that Yehoshua Jackson has played the piano all of his life. I learned that Brandon Amos can seem rough, but he is a nice guy who has big future ahead of him. I learned that Adarious Payton would like to go to college with me in the future. What I learned from BCM is that everybody did not come from the same back round, and that I have no right to judge anybody. I also learned that patience is a virtue. I learned that you can’t do everything on your own. I learned that you are who you are. I learned that I don’t have to try and impress people. If a person doesn’t like me, then they just don’t like me. The last thing I learned is that I can do every single thing, if I just put my mind to it. I had high doubts for me when we started hiking, but by the end of the day I was so confident in myself I wanted to do it again! I will never doubt myself again. I would like to thank Ms. Regina for giving me the opportunity to go on BCM. Also The Directorial Staff for also choosing me. I will never forget BCM, and I would love to do it again!

Adult Essay Contest Winner Amy Blum, Volunteer

The air was swirling with scents of Evergreen, pine, fern, the Sequoia, by the harsh, dry smell of granite, and of dirt that had sparsely been touched by trampling little hiking boots. At our final campsite, these smells stepped into a tango with burning campfires and propane stoves and the body odor of our fellow resting and weary backpackers. On past backpacking trips, when the day was done I always set down my pack and listened to the birds, to the wind rustling through the leaves and branches that stretched miles above my head. I’d look widely at the vast, naked world that was so accepting of my presence, and I breathed in the life around me. Through the powers of assumption and past experience, I understood the dance of smells and sights around me then, and deep within my mind I was smiling with gratitude, feeling comforted by the raw earthy aromas that nature’s home provided. It was at that moment, however, when we set our backpacks down and unloaded our exhaustion, that my senses of the outside world failed me – failed me with gusto – and instead of taking in my environment through a long, satisfying inhale, my body let itself out. Blood began to trickle, blocking any chances I had to sniff and smell sweet Mother Earth; it came down the left nostril first but was quickly joined by the right one. I felt the subtle cool wetness as it escaped my nose and I hoped it was just my allergies catching up to me. But my hope was abruptly dismantled when I touched my finger to my upper lip then saw the sweaty red color wiped across it. It was my third bloody nose in two days. Moreover, I regret to say that I could not sense the breeze that worked its way through the foliage, although I knew it was there. My skin, along with my nose, was distracted. It was focused on an invading army of welts and hives thanks to the switchback trail being overrun with thorny, poisonous bushes a mile or more deep back up the trail. My body ached and burned and itched as a result, and my nose was still bleeding. The women with me – four brave teens and three courageous adults – dropped their loads and cheered at the day’s successes. I sensed their pride, or maybe I assumed it, but I couldn’t see their faces, for my own eyes were suddenly clouded and watery. I squeezed my eyelids in hope of clarity, but it prompted salty tears to release down my cheeks, only to pause at the corner of my mouth to where the blood from my nose also streamed. The only luxury of the moment was that I was able to wipe it all away with the cuff of my shirt in one swift and embarrassed motion. The experience felt foreign to me, I was entirely out of my element. I was supposed to be the strong and sturdy one, the experienced one, the one who laughingly mocked and danced around blisters and fatigue and the typical challenges in the backcountry. I couldn’t explain myself, so I tilted my cap down to cover up the

confused emotion pouring down my face. One of the girls sitting across from me, the one who was bearing six blisters on her feet and had encountered her greatest fear of rattlesnakes a mere three times, took notice of my coy behavior. “Amy! Are you okay?!” Two days earlier I woke up before anyone’s alarms on their wrist watches went off. I had tucked my own watch somewhere deep into my sleeping bag and I didn’t much care to dig it out just to know the time. As everyone slept, I crawled out of my tent and silently walked away from our huddle of bare necessities. One hundred yards away a swift stream was escaping Lake Vernon and racing south towards Hetch Hetchy. I walked with it, escaping with it as the morning sun just barely touched the western mountain tips. I stopped a quarter mile down the way; without my watch I was afraid I’d get too far away when everyone else woke up, eager to go, and panicking about my disappearance. I was far enough away that I couldn’t see our campsite but I could still sense all the girls dreaming. At the river’s rocky edge I sat and listened to the water moving, permanently in transition. I smiled inward and breathed easily as I thanked the Earth for the moment. Miles and miles away from civilization, 8,000 feet above sea level, I was all alone, expect of course for the company of little wild, yellow daisies poking through the bed of stone. All alone. Somehow, still, I felt it wasn’t enough. I felt burdened by the moment’s limitations because I knew I’d very soon walk back to the tents to check on the girls, to set up the stoves for some oatmeal and hot chocolate, and continue a day with seven uniquely strange, bounding, and estrogen brimming women. The moment to myself was simply not enough to renew me the way I begged to be renewed. I asked myself, “If being this far away doesn’t satisfy, what does it take?” One week earlier my mom called me from Michigan. I was walking through a crowded festival in San Francisco when her voice shook through the airwaves. “Hi, Sweetheart. Your… your… your grandma passed this morning.” My grandma had cancer throughout her body, and had fought it for ten years. My family, all still in Michigan, was expecting her departure, but who is ever really prepared for another’s death? “We’ll probably have her funeral on Friday,” my mother whispered in between her cries and pauses for breath. Friday was the day I planned to leave for the BCM trip. “What am I supposed to do, Mom?” “Stay in California,” she told me, “you have to be there for the girls. That’s what your grandma would have wanted.”

So I cried. And the tears met at the corner of my mouth, diluting the dirty blood that my nose emitted, and I wiped it all away with the cuff of my shirt in one swift and embarrassed motion. “Amy! Are you okay?!” I shook my head to the right and the left – no – then hung my head a little lower. All the other girls steered their attention to me. “Awe! Amy!!” Their adolescent voices reached out to me. They could see my state: I was swollen with hives, bleeding, salting the earth with my tears, and they knew I was deep in my mourning. It was then that I became the child and the young girls morphed away from their own discomfort, their barely worn hiking shoes, their fresh angst, insecurity, and fear. They reached out to me wholeheartedly with comforting smiles, saying, “Oh! Amy!! It’ll be okay!” Through my clouded eyes, I looked back at the girls. Within the Evergreen and Pine, the warm sun, the breeze, four inexperienced teens forgot themselves and stretched pure concern and care to me – an anonymous adult in a delicate form. The other adults watched silently, perhaps in awe of the situation. I raised my cap a bit more and let them all see the raw emotion streaming out of me. They witnessed my tears and blood, uninhibited. Life never felt so real. So I laughed, and the unbreakable girls, the women - las potras - laughed, too. The next day we set back towards Hetch Hetchy Dam and to our old, civilized lives. As we neared the dam our group broke out in song… we echoed each other, “Flee! (Flee!) Flee, fly! (Flee, fly!) Flee, fly, mosquito! (Flee, fly, mosquito!) Oh no no, no more mosquitoes!” and we smiled in unison. Then through the dark tunnel in the mountain that led to the end, with the dam straight ahead of us, we laughed and screamed and stepped toward the light. It was what I needed to be renewed. It was a rebirth for all of us. Eight women set out into the woods as crazed individuals, separated by fears and worries, histories, and heavy, heavy backpacks. At the end of a week we walked out of the woods together as a new family of horses; we nayed at our past insecurities, and we endured everything we could thanks to life, nature, and a whole lot of wisdom. My personal perspective of my first BCM trip started off painted by loss and separation. But I’ve never felt as lucky as I did when I ended the trip with the other girls’ fresh paint added to my view, colored with love and purity, strength and honest openness. At the other end of the dam, I took off my pack, breathed in and smelled the air swirling with scents, I heard the birds and the wind, and I saw the girls sensing the same things. We shook our heads and we laughed.

< BCM Photo Contest Second Place Bert Allen, Team Leader, Navarre, FL

BCM Photo Contest Third Place: Maggie McCormick, Volunteer, Denver, CO

2008 Program Goals • Program Safety & Quality – In 2007 BCM went through a voluntary safety audit process in order to ensure the continued safety and quality of our program for all participants. The audit was a very positive learning experience and will help BCM focus our efforts in 2008 on those areas for improvement illuminated in our external audit. Our goal for 2008 is to strengthen the commitment to regionally-based programming and provide a more thorough spectrum of program components to better serve our youth and adult volunteers. • Youth Employment – BCM’s youth employment program was initiated in 2006 for BCM alumni youth to continue their involvement with our organization as well as provide important career-oriented life skills experience. Over the last two years, we have expanded the opportunities available to youth from one position in 2006 to three different positions filled by over 20 different youth in 2007. 2008 should see this program expand to new BCM program geographies, as well as the positions expand in both breadth and depth.

>

BCM Photo Contest Winner Milad Yazpanadahm Youth Organization Leader, Oakland, CA

• Program Participant Training- In 2008, BCM will be greatly expanding the scope of how we train each distinct program participants (Team Leader, Team Member, Youth Org Leader, Peer Leader and Youth). Driven primarily by a newly created position of Training Manager, BCM will be rethinking how we can ensure that our expectations of program curriculum and policies are properly communicated, understood, and carried out during all of our trips no matter what venue or format. Although the content of our training will most likely not be changing much, the format of our delivery will take on many new forms that BCM has not utilized in prior years. • Opening & Supporting a Regional Office – BCM in prior years, has successfully hired in prior years seasonal, regional staff to augment the work of our full time staff in Colorado. One BCM region in particular, the San Francisco Bay area, has grown large enough that it warrants additional infrastructure to support that growth. As of January 2008, BCM has added full-time, year-round program staff housed in a fully functioning office in San Leandro, CA. This office, supported by our headquarters staff in CO, will take on a more autonomous role in volunteer recruitment, youth agency relationships and program delivery than regions without this infrastructure.

“The summit hike to Savage Peak was awesome… it gives every person a bliss achievement feeling to say ‘I did it’ and the wonderful feeling of being on top of the world (or that world).”

The following essay is by Negou Seid, a 2007 Peer Leader and summer intern. Negou attended his first BCM trip in 2006 with the Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation and returned the next year to stay involved with BCM.

I believe this trip helped really to open everyone’s eyes to the beauty of nature and how even knowing the climbing was difficult the end result justified it.

My experience at Big City Mountaineers has been life-changing. My name is Negou Seid and I am with the Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation. Being in this foundation gave me an opportunity to participate on a BCM trip last year. I had never been on a backpacking trip before that, so I didn’t know what to expect. The trip pushed me mentally and physically and at the end I felt I could accomplish anything I put my mind into. From that day, I carried that mind set and it really helped me through a rough school year. When I was given the opportunity to work for BCM I was grateful, then I was excited when I heard I would be able to go on another trip. I went on a trip with a group of kids from Lost and Found; they were good kids that had made some mistakes. Lost and Found is a home for kids that are substance abusers, sexually abused, or have emotional and behavioral problems. My role on this trip was Peer Leader. I helped the teens and adults communicate better and I really enjoyed talking with them and I think they appreciated someone really listening. I believe that the teens got a great experience out of it and it will help them down the road. The adults were also impacted by the trip. For me, the trip this year was a lot tougher because of the roles I played. This year I had to play two roles, meaning I was treated like an adult by the adults while to the teens I was just another teen. As a Peer Leader I had to help the Team Leader with helping the teens’ and adults’ packs, and I was also involved in the conversation on deciding which trails to hike, whether a trail is too dangerous or if the weather didn’t look good, what activities to do and even which restaurants to go to. When it came to interaction with teens, right away it was easy because they weren’t shy and they asked good questions which the Team Leader let me answer. They were very respectful with the adults and around me they were teens. The teens shared some of their stories with me and why they ended up there, and they also shared their plans of getting out of there. In the end I believe this trip helped really to open everyone’s eyes to the beauty of nature and how even knowing the climbing was difficult the end result justified it. I believe everyone is going to carry that mindset into everything they do. We all knew none of that would be possible without the support of Big City Mountaineers.

Who will YOU summit for? Backpacker Magazine’s Summit for Someone (SFS) is a benefit climb series that raises funds to help support Big City Mountaineers’ national program. SFS came into existence in 2004 with the help of a local guide and six climbers eager to participate in the grassroots fundraising program. The inaugural year of SFS proved to be an overwhelming success. With the program’s foundation in place, we have grown SFS beyond expectations while maintaining a high standard of quality important to our sponsors, guides, climbers, and donors.

The 2007 event series proved to be yet another leap forward for the SFS program. With the support of Backpacker Magazine, we grew the program from 130 climbers to 349 climbers, increased the number of climb locations and continued to build and sustain our new and returning sponsor relationships. SFS also saw some event ‘upgrades’ in 2007. Our equipment distribution was outsourced for the first time to Planet Access Company in Waukegan, IL, and we introduced climb events on Gannett Peak, Mt. Katahdin, and Mt. Shuksan. What’s in store for 2008? To start, we’ve improved our event structure once again with the introduction of a much more comprehensive

fundraising support system, added a tiered pledge obligation format and are offering woman only and celebrity climbs. In addition, we’ve launched a brand new website which dramatically increases our ability to better serve our climbers. There is no doubt that 2008 should be our best year for participants in the Summit for Someone benefit climb program. Looking back, it’s hard not to reflect on the 2007 season and its humbling results, due in part to the outpouring of support and interest from climbers, guides, sponsors, and manufacturers. As the 2008 season begins to get warmed up, we look forward to continuing the growth and success of Summit for Someone, allowing BCM to increase the quality of our unique program which allows teens to experience the power of the wilderness coupled with positive adult role models. To learn more about Backpacker Magazine’s Summit for Someone program, please visit www.summitforsomeone.org or contact BCM’s Cause Marketing Manager, Andrea Schwartz, at 303-271-9200 xt.403 or [email protected].

Congratulations to the top SFS fundraisers! The overall Top Fundraiser was Jonathan Dorn, bringing in a whopping $24,275! Also deserving of recognition are the following fundraisers: Stephen Banta-$13,700, Tim Johnson-$13,180, Andrew Pfeffer- $9,838, Steven Burrows- $9,750 and Tom Hansen-$7,495! Congratulations also to the incentive drawing winners who each receive a free Summit for Someone climb in 2008! Those winners are John Sheppard, Curtis Zaun, Greg DuPey, Greg Christensen and Kevin Paretti.

“The fact that I could directly influence someone's life for the better and give them an experience of a lifetime is awesome. If any of these individuals have half the experience that I had during my climb, their lives will never be the same. I cannot say enough good things about SFS, BCM, RMI. This was truly an awe-inspiring experience. Thank you!” – Mt. Rainier climber

“I was given an opportunity to meet some great people, experience an awesome adventure, and contribute to a worthy cause. Who could ask for more than that?” – SFS 07 Climber

2007 Summit for Someone Climbers Each climber raised a minimum of $2900-$3500 for BCM

MT. KATAHDIN Howard Schwartz Jesse Berry Kristopher Cheshire LONGS PEAK Annalise Appel Andrew Herd Bijan Andrade Chris Smith Colin Gorman Corey Vezina David Schneider Derek Morgan Doug Thomas Greta Oberschmidt Jeremy Idjadi Joshua Idjadi Matt Horton Nat Marshall Rakesh Patel Rob Lacourse Scott Ransberry Shane Byler Stephanie Kujawski Stephanie Smith Steven Bryner Thatch Vandenbergh Wendi Sudhakar MT. WASHINGTON Bill Bohn Peter Shaw PRESIDENTIAL TRAVERSE Christopher Brashear Joel Carse MT. HOOD Aaron Proujansky Andrea Smasine Andrew Mayts Andrew Pfeffer Carly Reed Chris Rivard Dan Arnold David Traffie Gary Feldman Greg Elmore Jacob N. Cook James B. Strickland James Pezoulas Joe Giannantonio Joey Uek John Genell Joseph Borneo Kevin Kinkade Laura VanPuymbrouck Lester Staib Mark Beezley

Michael Sperber Mitchell Crasson Natalie Whiteman Peter Sperber Phillip Thomas Rebecca Watt Sarah Mudd Scott Overson Steven Burrows Thomas Hansen MT. OLYMPUS Ben Fullerton Genny Wright James Estes Jeff Roberts Jeff Schumacher Jennifer Valentine Jim Beebe John Ottley Justin Hensley Karl Schmitt Mark Griffith Nathaniel Cogdil Rob Robison Seth Neilson Steve Potter Susan DeGregorio MT. SHUKSAN Christa Voepel David Blood David Douglas Glenn Goodstein Greg DuPey Jamie Swift Jennyfer Medl John Varholak Mark Godley Mark Hsieh Michael Greene Patricia Kowalske Sandy Radsek Sarah Hews Scott Hauff Tom Henderson Tracey McFadden GRAND TETON Adam Kentworthy Adrian Haynie Andrea Schwartz Andrew Dagostin Andy Podshadley Bern Abplanalp Bryant Goulding Casey Clark Casey Ornstein Chris El-Deiry Cody Thurston Collin Stacy Dan Bowers Dan Kobler Dan O’Keefe David Fudala David Watson Don Wargowsky Dustin Anderson Eric Rice Greg Christensen Helen Bellanca Hilary Ritt

James Bourdon Jason Hanold Jason Pisano Jeffrey Welch Jennifer Brunner John Scherry John Sheppard Jonathan Higgins Jordan Dale Justin Kuo Kevin A Crow Lafe Goeckeritz Laurie Herron Leslie O’Berry Matthew Coelho Matthew York Michael Podshadley Michael Roszkowski Mitch Christensen Reagan Evans Robert Brady Shawn Kiefner Stefan Yakel Steve Messana Svetlana Khaykina Syd Jones Szu-Ting Yi Tom Wheeler MT. MORAN Bryan Belmont Jeff Moore Jeff Taylor Jon Gheen Kirk S. Chapman Megan Oberg Paul Andrews Wayne Armstrong GANNETT PEAK Ben Adkison Benjamin Shomair Bryan Neider Evan Chalfin Greg McCrimmon Jared Byer Jason Richter Jim Steinshouer John Varholak Jonah Muniz Kevin Paretti Kristin Wisnowski Larry Teague Marc Pritsky Michelle Napoli Nathaniel Denay Nicholas Lightfoot Rik Jordan MT. RAINIER Aaron Turecek Amy Pitt Andrew Caldwell Andy Johnson Ben Takemori Brian Brewer Bryan Harkins Bryan Neider Carolyn Mathis Catherine Eldridge Christopher Bassolino Christopher Lloyd Christopher Selena CT Thomas

David Bundy David Cerio Dennis Arias Devin Ng Donald Jenkins Doug Winn Elise Kern Erin Profota Gary Eckard Gregg Andrick Gregg Pachik Heather Morton Holly Mauro Ie-Chen Cheng Jack Curtin Janet Mau Jeanne Kaufman Jeff Scavelli Jeffrey Rowley Jessica Covell Jim Steinshouer Joe Buck Joe Fisher John Gilpin Jonathan Woodruff Josh Bennett Justin Baccary Kyle Hadersberger Marcia Haines Mark Ware Matthew Hendricks Meghan Bell Michael Damkot Michael Forsythe Michael Heitland Michael Pitt Michael Woodruff Micheal Spain Milke Dietrich Miska Paulorinne Nancy Livingston Nick Brandehoff Paul Takesian Peter Tortorci Ray Mina Richard Bird Rob Hyman Scott A. McCay Scott Myatich Sean Mahoney Shane Achey Shawn Campbell Shelly Bloom Stellar Mason Susan Swiger Thomas Alfernik Tim Johnson Tim Vedder William Lorenc MT. SHASTA Alden Solovy Barrett Benson Ben Gabriel Brian Boughner Brian King Brian Nolan Brian Zaun Bryan Kiss Curtis Zaun Danny Westergard David Moulton David Roggenbuck David Roman

Diana Wu Garrett Donoghue Greg Bickel Jason Moore-Brown Jeff Kaplan Jennifer Guinan Jillian McBride Joe Stack Kevin Olson Kristin Duby Melissa Oldham Nicholas Hemstreet Porter Daniel R.J. McLaughlin Richard Manchur Rob Manson Robert Lafever Sarah Casaletto Scott Kinlin Tanya Gant Terrance Sigler Timothy Morrissey Todd Bellino Tyler Stewart Will Clements William Rose Zachary Weber MT. WHITNEY Brett Furguson Christopher R Keefe Cyril Maramanglam Daniel Garrison Dennis Pinto Eric Zinczenko Erik da Silva Erin Sovick Fran Farrell Gregory Alaniz Heath Kidd James Clark Jason Boyle John Blair John Noonan Jonathan Dorn Joseph Fazioli Josh Grossman Joshua Pace Justin Kline Keith Johnson Keith Parker Matt O’Hara Nicole Blaser Ryan Murphy Samuel Cody Fielden Scott Wareham Sky George Stephen Coney Tom Beusse Wesley Johnson NORTH PALISADES Brennan Pang Bruce Middleton David Rottblatt Erick Lord Jeremy Carr Joe Leroux Kenneth Lewis Mindy Antolak Patrick Hoar Stephen Banta Stephen Beggs Trevor Buxton

24 PEAKS

Join Backpacker magazine as we climb 24 of North America’s iconic peaks to benefit Big City Mountaineers. Not only will you experience your choice of challenging, professionally guided ascents, you’ll receive a mountain of free gear from our sponsors. And, you’ll feel good knowing your efforts will help fund a life-changing week in the wilderness for teens who need it most.

SIGN UP NOW AT SUMMITFORSOMEONE.ORG

94 EVENTS

775 CLIMBERS

9.8 MILLION

VERTICAL FEET

COUNTLESS

LIVES CHANGED

©2008 BCM. All rights reserved. Summit For SomeoneTM is a fundraising program owned by and to benefit Big City Mountaineers. BCM, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is a recreational mentoring program for at-risk teens. SFS climbs are conducted with AMGA-certified guides with permits and approval of their respective land-management agencies. Photo courtesy of sierramountaineering.com.

SFS Donors

The following individuals and companies donated at least $500 to a climber participating in a 2007 Summit for Someone Climb A.V. Imports, Inc. Accenture Ager, AJ Alleger, Richard Allegis Group Foundation Alston & Bird, LLP America Endowment Foundation Anderson, Daniel Andresen, Linda Angler Environmental Architectural Entertainment, Inc. Argus Realty Investors, LLP Avery, Emily Backbone Media Badilla, Daniel Bank of America Matching Gifts Bank of America Matching Gifts Banta, David & Stephanie Barr, Stephen Beebe, Charles Bekiaris, William Bellanca, Anthony J. Berman, Luann Bird, Tristan Blue Cross & Blue Sheild Borax Bornman, Bill Boughner, Jim Boughner, Valerie Bowar, Chuck Brady, Karen Brashear, Glenn Brooks, Lamar Brown, David Broyhill, Hunt Brzozowski, Margaret Buck, Benjamin Buck, Cynthia Buoscio, Nicolino Burrows, Jane Buxton, Karin Byler, Shawn California Industrial Facilities Resource Canyon Creek Financial, LLC. Carr, Janet Casaletto, David Casaletto, Diane Casella, Paul, Connie, & Gary Cavazuti, Edward Cheshire, Dorothy Cheshire, Lee Christensen, Lynn Clayton, Roger Clements, Bruce Cline, Craig Clough, Eric and Jane CMP Community Connection Collaborative Consult Colonna, Brian Conroy, Michael Corporate Electric Services Cothran, Phillip Coupounas, Kimberly Cowan, Benson Crowder, Garry Curtin, John Dahberg II, John Dakan, Carol Davey, Randall De Piper, Geret Decker, Susan Delta Fire Sprinklers, Inc. Deutshe Bank America Dorazio, Coleen Dorn, Jacob

Dorn, Jonathan Duby, Margaret Duby, Robert Eastern Mountain Sports Eldridge, Bob Eldridge, N. Robert Ellis, Nancy Elmore, Greg Endodonties Engles, Ann Deborah Eugenis, Ted Eva, Dave Expedia, Inc. Fairfield Industries Falvo, Mike Fannie Mae Foundation Fazioli, Kirk Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Files, Glenn Fisch, Robie Fisher, Patsy Fullerton, Donald Gamboa, Normalita Gardner, Underwood & Bacon, LLC Garrett, Kathy GE Foundation Gifford, Heidi Glynn, Simon Gold, Amir Goldentree Asset Management Gorman, Kevin Green, Andrew Philip Grossman, Steven Grover, Crystal Hamilton, Merle Hardin, Troy Harris, Juliana Hawkinson, Jeff Haynie, Marian Henderson, Scott Henson, Bryan Hilton, Dennis Hinrichs, Steven Hoffman, Dan Hogan, Thom Hoist Service Inc. Holben, Robert Hopcroft, Troy Hunter, Janessa Hutton, Mike and Ellie Icon Health & Fitness, Inc. Innolume Inc. Internicola, Gary James Millis Jr. Fund Jenkins, William Johnson, Brent Johnson, James & Janice Johnson, Kristina Johnson, Rolland & Paula Kalin, Steven Kelly Burns Photography Kendall, Ethel Kenny, Steven Kenworthy, Nicole Killarney Construction King, Jamey Kinkade, Glenn Klopfenstine, Ben Koob, Charles Kunnath, Stephen Lagrange Middle School Land America Foundation Levi Strauss Foundation Lindahl, George Lockner, April

Lonegren, Sally Lucas, William Lynch, Dianne Maguire, Susan Mantelli, Kimberly Mar, Gil Marn, Kurt Martinez, Carlos Matts, Timothy Maxwell, Grover & Jessica Maxwell, Joan McGrath, Joan & Bob Mckesson Information Solutions, Inc. Medl, Rosemary Melius, Gary Mercado, Larry Mick, Bryan Microsoft Matching Gifts Miller, Eldon Miller, Gregory Montagna-Sparks, Mary V. Montalto, James Morgan, Vaughn Mugel, Michael Mulvanny G2 Architects Myatich, George Nelsen, John Nolan Insurance Agency Inc. Northcoast Anethesia Northern Arizona Regional Behavioral Health Authority, Inc. Olson, Cheri Ornstein, Matthew Overson, Rodger Patel, Daya & Pushpa Patten Construction Pearson, Shane Peck, Steve Pepsico Foundation Perrine, Stephen Pezoulas, George Pham, Melinda Potter, Steve Preston, Christine Previdi, Richard Princeton Tectonics Pro Flowers Quicken Loans Rader, Henning Rainier Investment Management Raney, Mike & Sue Rausch, Susan Ray Blaser Memorial Fund Reebok Reid, William Rice, Bruce Rieke, Kurt & Elizabeth Riley, Darlene & Robin Roberts, John Robinson, George & Anne Rocco, Nate & Allison Rodale, Ardath Rodale, Heidi Rogers, Christopher Roggenbuck, Meghan Ropes, Valerie Rotberg Comens Booth Foundation Rudow, Rich Sablan, Samuel Sanders, Betty Schmidt, Steven Schonder, John F Schwary, Dennis SCI Real Estate Investments, LLC Scudder, Darlene & Duane

All donors listed are for contributions during BCM’s fiscal year between October 1, 2006-September 31,2007.

Senter, Michael Seppala, Samuel Shoch, Curtis Silberman, Michael Silverman, Lauren Sinclaire, Murray Small, Dorothy Smart Choice Worldwide Ins. Network Smith, Susan Sofro, Victoria Sorabella, Kathleen Sowder, Glenn Sperber, Gerald Spillane, Jack Stacy, Jerry Staib, Eleanor Starr, Dick Steinwachs, Jeff Stewart, Tara Stiers, Brenda Surrency, Bruce & Terri Sushine Foundation Sutro, Joann SWS Charitable Foundation Taylor, Bernard The Minneapolis Foundation THK Photo Products, Inc. Thomas, Rhiannon TIC Properties LLC Tilton, Anna Town Tavern Fundraiser Traffie, Alvan Trivisonno, Nick & Suzie Twitty, Allan Unthank, Randy Valentine, Steven Valley Temp Services, Inc. Vance, Dorothy Vandenbergh, M.D., Richard Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program Vassar, Brad Vedder, Susan Vedder, Wayne Verizon Foundation Voepel, James Wal-Mart Foundation Warner, Thomas Wells Fargo Bank Westergard, Carol Wetmore, Carol Wetmore, Patty Wheeler, Katrina Wheeler, Leslie B. Wheeler, Samuel Wheeler, William Willis, Kimberly Wilson, Robert Wilson, Sharon Winch-Paulorinne, Paula Wine Warehouse Wohlford, Anne Wong, Sue L Wood, Chris Woodruff, Steven Woods, Ronald Ziilch, Charles & Dorothy Zinczenko, David

In Kind Donors Akerman Senterfitt Al & Patsy Merritt Alaska Mountaineering School Alpine Ascents Andrew Pfeffer Arcadia Mountain Guides Ascent Advising Atwater Carey Backbone Media Backpacker Magazine Best Life Magazine Bicycling Magazine Big Agnes Black Diamond Blessingrings.com Cache Lake Foods Camelbak Camping Life Magazine Cascade Designs Clif Bar & Company Climbing Magazine Coleman Colorado Rocky Mountain School constantcontact.com Ed Viesturs Elise & Jim Kern, Jr. EMS Climbing School Eureka Extrasport Field & Stream Magazine Geartrends Magazine Go Trek & Expeditions Google Grassroots Outdoor Alliance

Hanna Advertising Heibing Group Ibex Jackson Hole Mountain Guides JanSport Jeremy Trinidad Johnson Outdoors Katadyn Keen Kelty Kestrel Knitzilla Kokatat LaSportiva Leki Mammut USA Midwest Mountaineering Mountain Bike Magazine Nantahala Outdoor Center National Geographic Adventure Magazine National Geographic Maps Nature’s Path Nielson – Kellerman Optic Nerve Outdoor Adventures outdoor DIVAS Outdoor Life Magazine Outdoor Research Outdoor Retailer Outdoor World Outward Bound USA Petzl Polarmax

Polartec Primus Princeton Tec Protech Raindance Communications Rainier Mountaineering Inc. Red Ledge Rocky Mountain Sports Runner’s World Magazine Running Times Magazine Rutabaga Sage Tree, LLC San Joaqin Transportation District San Juan Mountain Guides Sea To Summit Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park Shasta Mountain Guides Sierra Mountaineering International Smartwool SNEWS Structured Finance Solutions, LLC The Gunflint Lodge Thorlos Timberland Trail Runner Magazine Travel Country Outdoors Trekk Ventures Corporation W. L. Gore & Associates Wendy & Erik Shefelbine-Normark White Iron Beach Resort Women’s Health Magazine Yosemite Valley School

CORPORATE DONORS Adobe Systems Incorporated Alec Meszaros and Associates, Inc. AllianceBernstein Any Mountain Berenfeld, Spritzer, Shechter & Sheer BNI Miami-Dade Inc. Camelbak CampBound.com Casual Adventure Cbeyond Communications Cereal Bowl Operators, LLC Champaign Surplus Citrix Systems, Inc. Compupay, Inc Denver Business Journal Divisa Associates, LLC Dry Creek Enterprises Eagle Creek, Inc. Earth Games Eliptek Consulting, Inc. Emerald Insurance Group II, Inc. Filer Insurance, Inc. Firehouse Shutters, LLC Florida Jai-Alai, Inc Generator Group, LLC

Gibraltar Private Harris Interactive Hispanic Mail Advertising, Inc Impressive Images, Inc. iStar Financial Inc. JA Apparel Corp. Jansport Kabookaboo Marketing Keen Footwear Massey’s Outdoors Merrill Lynch Miller Construction Company Motivo Coffee Mountain Hardwear National Title Insurance Company North Cove Outfitters, Inc. Northern Mountain Supply Nuveen Investments O’Connell-Allen Family Foundation Outdoor Apparel Insights Pack Rat Outdoors Progressive Casualty Insurance Company Quark, Inc. Red Ledge

Red Point Ventures, LLC Reebok REI Reisinger Painting, Inc. Reliant Pension Association, Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler Russi USA, Inc. Sasquatch Advertising, Inc. Smartwool Sole Footbeds Southeast Property Management Company Specialty Sports Venture, LLC The Glenmede Trust Company The Kern Company The North Face Timberland Travel Country Outdoors Wampler Buchanan Walker Washington Mutual Bank Wilderness Exchange Wilderness Sports

North Carolina Community Foundation Pfizer Foundation The New York Community Trust Denver Foundation Guardsmen Foundation Community Shares of Colorado

Verizon Foundation Capital Charities, Inc. Liz Claiborne Foundation Motorola Foundation Jewish Community Foundation McClean Family Foundation

BCM DONORS

The following individuals donated at least $250 directly to BCM in 2007 Allen, Bert Benenson, Lisa Bluh, Mark Brorby, Donna Brothers, Wayne & Kristine Brumenschenkel, Michael Cagle, Peter Chambers, Britta Chang, Bryan Chase, Colin & Heather Chase, Fran Cisler, Michael and Sarah Traas Curtis, Jennie & David Danielsen, Barry DelVecchio, Richard Derynck, Mattias French, David Garrison, Roberta Goldman, Charles Goodstein, Glenn Grant, Eleanor & Andrew Green, David James Hendrikse, Kimberly Hosfeldt, Gregg Kelly, Michelle Kern, Drew Kern, James Sr. Kern, Stacy McGowan, Shawn Paden, Alecya Perry, Michael Quintero, Mario Rasile, Arlene Recknagel, Stuart & Susan Reynoso, Luis Ribenboim, Myriam Da Costa Riley, Michael Schmidt, Michael Schwalbach, John Schwalbach, Tina Seaton, Barb & Tim Sierota, Michael Stay, Jeff Steinberg, Carrie Stoehr, William Urban, Don Wallenfels, Michael Warren, Robert Yowell, Skip

FOUNDATION DONORS United Way of the Capital Area United Way of King County GAP Foundation Quabaug Charitable Foundation The IFF Foundation Inc. Microsoft Giving Campaign

San Francisco Foundation California Community Foundation Endowment

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Big City Mountaineers Staff

President Michael Hodgson President – SNEWS LLC

Executive Director Mark Godley

Vice President Natalie S. Whiteman Attorney - Nantahala Outdoor Center Vice President, Industry Relations Skip Yowell Co-founder – JanSport Secretary Michelle Barnes Vice President – Outdoor Industry Association Treasurer Chris Schwalbach Senior Director of Finance – Skyway Systems

California Program Manager Patrice Wakeley

Director of Operations and Safety Mitsu Iwasaki

Cause Marketing Manager Andrea Schwartz

Program Director Erin McVoy

Promotions Manager Hillary Harding

Logistics Manager Greta Oberschmidt

Cause Marketing Coordinator Chris El-Diery

Training Manager Erin Sovick Volunteer Manager Brie Brower

Bookkeeper Tanya O’Grady

Accountant Debbi Miller 2007 Youth Agency Liaisons Lloyd Letellier Beth Walker Christina Wilson 2007 Summer Regional Program Managers Sarah McCarthy – California Adam Garbus – Colorado Bernie Rupe – Midwest

2007 Summer Administrator Matt Elder Program Coordinators Sharsyea Abram Isaiah Bryant Joseph Lewis Lawrence Pope Cierra Stanford Darneisha Tutweiler Interns Lauren Chapman Ta’Keyah Drumgo Leanor Ibarra Rigo Rios Negou Seid

Peer Leaders Matt Bogard Chris Brandidge Lauren Chapman Nicole Davila Ta’keyha Drumgo Leanor Ibarru Travis Jackson Brianna Jones Marcus Matthews Terry Moland Richland Moland Rigo Rios Negou Seid Jessica Thompson Julio Urbina Mitzi Vargas

Dave Bartholomew Principal – Ascent Advising Mark Carlstrom President – Northern Mountain Supply Susan Decker Senior Director – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Jonathan Dorn Editor-in-Chief – Backpacker Magazine Michael G. Ford Executive Advisor to the General Manager –Trimet Transportation Ian Haldimann Principal – Sage Tree, LLC

Summit Team Sponsors

Elise Kern Former ED –Big City Mountaineers Adam Margolin Managing Partner – Structured Finance Solutions, LLC Dawn Martinez CPA, U.S. Accounting Manager – Quark Lisa Mattis Director - Scholarship Program – Outward Bound USA Paul Shelowitz Attorney – Akerman Senterfitt Bill Stoehr Artist and Past President – National Geographic Maps Mac Tillman VP of Marketing and Product Management – Camelbak Products LLC Enrique Washington Partner – Generator Group Peter Whittaker Owner – Rainier Mountaineering, Inc.

E-mail [email protected] Web www.bigcitymountaineers.org Colorado Address 1667 Vine Street Denver, CO 80211 303-271-9200

California Address 176 Juana Ave, 2nd Floor San Leandro, CA 94577 510-895-8607

Done reading the newsletter? Please pass it along to someone you think might be interested in our programs! Big City Mountaineers, Inc is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt corporation, Federal ID 65-0200163 Thank to Matthew Bates of Backpacker magazine for the design and layout of this publication