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 andrea@bigcitymountaineers.org.
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 info@bigcitymountaineers.org
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
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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