Coleman Announces Partnership with Appalachian Mountain Club

The Coleman Company, Inc. today announced a new partnership with the Appalachian Mountain Club in support of AMC’s efforts to engage more people in trail stewardship. The joint effort between Coleman and AMC, the oldest non-profit conservation and recreation organization in the United States, will help further the goals of Coleman’s campaign to get people outside and will help bolster and broaden AMC’s Trails Challenge program to include more volunteers, particularly youth.

With an influx of new volunteers for its Trails Challenge program, AMC seeks to increase its trail stewardship commitment by five miles a year, per AMC Chapter, during the next five years, for a total of 300 additional miles maintained by local volunteers. This will help governmental land management agencies and organizations throughout the Northeast focus on more resource-intensive major trail projects.

“AMC’s goal is to maintain 2,000 miles of trail in the Northeast by the year 2010,” said Andrew Falender, executive director of the AMC. “Coleman’s generous support will significantly increase the capacity of our trail stewardship and education programs. The AMC and Coleman share a common commitment to youth and community outreach and creating positive experiences for the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts.”

AMC maintains 1,500 miles of trails from Maine to Washington, D.C., including 350 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

“AMC’s mission is in complete alignment with Coleman’s commitment to make the outdoor experience more accessible and more enticing to all Americans,” said Gary A. Kiedaisch, Coleman’s president and CEO. “AMC’s trails and education programs are outstanding examples of how to introduce young people to the outdoors and teach them to enjoy and maintain it for future generations.

“We look forward to making an impact on a broad segment of the population with our campaign to get people outside, and AMC and other advocacy groups will be an important part of that effort.”

In addition to Trails Challenge, Coleman will support a number of other AMC programs. The company will provide AMC with financial support, outdoor products for use and testing, and with expert technical support. Coleman’s support will help AMC establish a trail maintenance component for two of its programs – A Mountain Classroom and Youth Opportunities Program – which collectively work with 9,500 young people in the Northeast to make the outdoor environment accessible through educational programming. Additionally, resources provided by Coleman will offer AMC assistance to recruit chapter volunteers as trail stewards, reach out to local land managers and identify trails in need of additional maintenance.

The Coleman support will fund AMC’s hiring of a Trails Challenge coordinator to engage volunteers in AMC’s 12 regional chapters and in local communities near New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Plus, AMC is adding an educational coordinator at its Pinkham Notch Visitor Center in the White Mountains.

Beginning this fall, many of AMC’s trail volunteers will gather to set program goals, discuss strategies to recruit volunteers, and set a schedule for the trail work. Initial plans include a series of training and trail events, such as family outings for volunteers and prospective volunteers, throughout the spring and summer of 2007. Coleman and AMC will work jointly to publicize these events.

The Coleman Company, Inc. is an international leader in the innovation and marketing of outdoor products, including its legendary lanterns, as well as stoves, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, coolers, furniture and grills. Its products are sold and used all over the world. Coleman embraces its leadership role as an advocate for the outdoors, contributing to outdoor causes and inspiring people to get outside. Founded in 1900 and based in Wichita, Kan., Coleman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation, and can be found online at www.coleman.com. Consumers can contact Coleman by phone at 800-835-3278 or by e-mail at consumerservice@coleman.com.

Note to media: News releases and images are available upon request or can be downloaded at www.coleman.com/newsroom.

Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the nation. With 90,000 members in the Northeast and beyond, the nonprofit AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region. The AMC supports natural resource conservation while encouraging responsible recreation, based on the philosophy that successful, long-term conservation depends upon first-hand enjoyment of the natural environment. For media inquiries, contact Laura Hurley at (617) 523-0655 x321 or lhurley@outdoors.org. (www.outdoors.org)

Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of niche consumer products used in and around the home. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bicycle®, Crawford®, Diamond®, First Alert®, Forster®, Hoyle®, Java Log®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Leslie-Locke®, Loew-Cornell®, Pine Mountain® and Starterlogg®. Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Harmony®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain™; and Outdoor Solutions: Campingaz® and Coleman®. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden has over 20,000 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.jarden.com.