THE POWER OF LIFT
There are many paths to the mountains. We are honoured to lift up the work of community-based, grassroots organisations and individuals, who are creating points of entry to diversify the outdoors. Here’s to the 2024 Arc’teryx No Wasted Days Community Grant recipients.
Since launching in 2018 in Vancouver, our grant program has grown through the community outreach of our retail stores to touch 20 communities, speaking three languages, in four countries around the world. In 2024, it was our honour to provide Arc’teryx No Wasted Days grants to 85 grassroots organizations and individuals.
Behind the numbers are the stories: thousands of individual lives transformed by the power of time in nature with supportive, like-bodied, like-minded, community.
An accident survivor and double amputee learns to climb and has his sense of adventure and confidence reignited. An inner-city teen with ADHD joins a weekly rock-climbing program and with the support of volunteer mentors, discovers her own power to persevere. A Centre for Adaptive Snow Sports gets a physical facility for adaptive athletes to gather, sort equipment and debrief inside. Muslim women learn to lead-climb alongside a sisterhood of other Muslim women.
79% of the projects are led by people who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. And as a result, organizations share that more BIPOC climbers are getting certified as climbing instructors, learning to lead climb, and gaining the knowledge, skills and resources to enjoy themselves in outdoor spaces.
In turn, the work inspires our team members, as more than 100 Arc’teryx employees reviewed 420 applications of projects, programs and works in progress to help unearth this year’s recipients.
Arc’teryx is rooted in a love for the mountains and the power of time spent in the outdoors. The transformative power of nature is a bedrock belief that anchors everything we do.
The work to make the outdoors more accessible doesn’t happen in isolation. It requires leadership and insight from within the communities that projects are designed to serve. That is the impetus behind the No Wasted Days Community Grant Program.
It’s an honour to uplift the work these grant recipients are able to do.
In your communities, in the places you know and love, for the people and causes you care deeply about, you are helping to make outdoor activities a welcome outlet for everyone. For that, we celebrate you.
