$1 Million, 10 walls and 100,000 kids
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On May 9th, Adidas Outdoor donated $1 Million to 1Climb, a foundation committed to making climbing more accessible to urban kids.
The donation will go to the construction of 10 new walls to be built in Boys and Girls Clubs located in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. At least 100,000 kids will be exposed to the sport through the mentorship of the Clubs and a partnership with local climbing gyms. Other companies, like So Ill, Toms and Eldorado Climbing Walls, are pitching in as well to donate gear and climbing and marketing expertise.
“I felt like the opportunities for kids to discover climbing were pretty narrow,” said Jorgeson in a press release. “Now, instead of hoping the next generation finds climbing, we bring the outdoor sport directly to where they live in the city. Climbing has the ability to change the trajectory of a kid’s life.”1Climb was founded in 2010 by Kevin Jorgeson, a longtime climber known for his 2015 first ascent of the Dawn Wall with Tommy Caldwell. After Jorgeson’s life changed at the age of 9 via the introduction of climbing, he decided to find a way to proactively expose climbing to future generations.
Through 1Climb, Jorgeson’s goal was big: to introduce climbing to one million kids. By the end of 2020, the estimated project completion date, Jorgeson will be a big step closer to accomplishing his dream. Follow the progress on 1Climb.