“Back to school” can mean a multitude of things for the youth in our communities. We encourage our youth to explore learning the way they would explore the outdoors. We encourage them to broaden their horizons and seek as many opportunities as possible to expand their knowledge. Accessibility to learning and learning materials plays a large role in the ability of youth to succeed. Ultimately, the reality is that going back to school isn’t always as exciting and accessible for everyone in our community. Our motto, “Explore Global, Shop Local,” extended into the classroom this season.
We partnered with nOg Run Club, Osprey, Patagonia, and The North Face to provide backpacks and school supplies to the youth in Wake County. We distributed packs and materials to Friends of Wake County Guardian ad Litem (GAL). Friends of Wake County GAL was founded in 1983 and established by the North Carolina General Assembly to provide advocacy and leadership to children in foster care. The Backpacks for Kids drive is one of many missions they facilitate to support foster youth. Additionally, nOg Run Club hosts an annual supply drive to support local initiatives like this one. Undoubtedly, we knew we wanted to take part in this incredible collaborative effort.
Overall, our goal was to equip as many children as possible with the gear they need to explore the beauty of education. Osprey generously donated 100 packs, Patagonia donated another 20 packs, and we’ve been able to contribute an additional 50 packs by The North Face to help kickstart this program. With the support of our incredible community in our Raleigh & Chapel Hill locations, we filled 170 packs with learning materials.
