Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Welcomes Sunlight Sports as Retail Member

Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is pleased to announce that Sunlight Sports has joined our organization as a Retail member.

Sunlight Sports continually strives to be the premier locally-owned outdoor store in Wyoming. Their staff is made up of a group of hikers, climbers, mountain guides, runners and other outdoor enthusiasts. They view every customer as a potential friend, and aspire to make sure every customer is treated that way. Their goal is to outfit any customer for a perfect trip, no matter if it is a day hike or a three week climbing expedition. They want their customers to walk out with the best gear for their trip, their experience, and their budget.

Located in Cody, Wyoming, the eastern gateway to Yellowstone and the largest town on the eastern side of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, they specialize in climbing, hiking, backpacking, skiing, snowboarding and nordic skiing.

The shop was opened in 1971 by Bob Newsome, and was originally a small section in Howard’s Western Wear. Today, they are an 8000 square foot shop. The shop has remained locally owned since, with Bob and his wife Sandy selling to their in-laws, Wes and Melissa Allen in 2010.

“Wes and I are both excited and humbled by the opportunity to join the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance” said Melissa Allen, owner of Sunlight Sports. “Grassroots as an organization is the standard bearer for excellence in independent outdoor retail. They have done an amazing job in reinforcing the importance that great, locally-owned outdoor shops have both in keeping our industry vital and in protecting our wild places. Sunlight Sports has always striven to have an active voice around both of those issues, so we feel like we are joining an extremely effective team of like-minded people. In addition, many of the vendors that are partners with Grassroots are key to our business, and we look forward to deepening our relationships with those brands. We hope that we can contribute in a very positive way to Grassroots for years to come”.

With this kind of focus on customer service, quality products and dedication to their local community, Sunlight Sports is a natural fit to the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance. We look forward to welcoming them to our family of excellent independent specialty retailers. As Dawson Wheeler, member of the Grassroots Board of Directors shares, “Having Wes and Melissa Allen and their retail store join Grassroots is big news for us at Rock/Creek. We came to know Wes when he was employed with Chaco and quickly learned he was a bright man with the highest of standards and ethic. Knowing our group has another retailer who we can call and get professional insight is huge and as a bonus we get to grow our friendship.”

Grassroots Outdoor Alliance unites independent outdoor retailers as a strong voice to protect and promote the experience of outdoor enthusiasts across the United States. To learn more about Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, visit our website at www.grassrootsoutdoors.com