Exhibitors Rally to Support Gear to Grow’s Gear Drive

SALT LAKE CITY – Gear to Grow, a non-profit program dedicated to distributing donated gear from outdoor retailers and manufacturers to non-profits that promote outdoor recreation, was supported by INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand team that hosted a gear drive during the 2011 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market show. From Aug. 4 – 7, the CORDURA® brand booth served as the official collection site where participants could drop off surplus, second-hand or sample gear and apparel to benefit the Gear to Grow program. Additionally, several participants shipped donations to the Gear to Grow warehouse prior to the show.

From shoes and clothing to tents and backpacks, exhibitors, attendees and media donated more than 400 items to the gear drive. Gear to Grow received donations from several of its long-standing donors including CamelBak®, who donated 18 hydration backpacks and Cascade Designs, who donated three large boxes full of camping stoves, dry bags, water bladders and Therm-a-Rest® pads. Other major donations included 210 tents from Mountain Hardwear®, more than $15,000 worth of men’s, women’s and kid’s apparel from Icebreaker®, 28 coolers from Igloo®, and one large box of women’s apparel from Carve Designs.

“We are extremely pleased with the response from our call to action within the outdoor industry,” said JT VonLunen, co-founder of Gear to Grow. “The large amount and variety of donated items will better outfit our beneficiaries and help get them outdoors with the appropriate gear and apparel.”

Currently, Gear to Grow supports more than 70 non-profit beneficiary groups across the country. All donations are stored in the program’s warehouse, located in Salt Lake City, and are then distributed among the beneficiaries based on their “wish lists” of current product needs.

“We would also like to thank CORDURA® brand team for offering their booth as a collection site, and for helping us generate awareness about the gear drive and our program’s initiatives,” continues VonLunen. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with CORDURA® brand for years to come.”

Gear to Grow also received generous donations from Go Pro®, Green Supply, Vivobarefoot™, Timberland®, Danner®, GU, PROBAR, Bamboo Bottle Company™, Nathan Performance Gear™, Stanley®, Great Neck®, Fox River®, Asana Climbing, LittleLife®, Sperry® Top-sider, Contour, Zippo®, Coast™, and Granite Gear.

For a complete list of donated items, visit www.geartogrow.org

About Gear to Grow
The Gear to Grow program allows outdoor retailers and manufacturers to make tax-deductible gear donations for the benefit of getting more people involved in outdoor recreation. Simply put, Gear to Grow brokers gear between the donors and non-profit organizations whose primary missions entails getting people involved in outdoor activities. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Gear to Grow program is a project of the Pacific Mountain Institute, a 501(c) 3 non-profit. The Gear to Grow program began in December 2009 and now serves more than 70 outdoor non-profit groups throughout the United States since.

For more information on Gear to Grow visit www.geartogrow.org.


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