What an amazing weekend! There’s nothing better then spending time outside with wonderful people who genuinely care about making an impact in our community.
When the team behind HalfDays first approached me about teaming up to do a fundraiser, I was immediately on board. The women behind the outdoor apparel company share a similar mission – making the outdoors more accessible, especially for women. Not every ski day has to be a full send, it’s not just totally okay to ski a half day – it’s a really fun way to do it. Within days we had a date set to Hike for a Cause!
The idea was simple, sell tickets with a suggested donation and pick a cause we all care about. They brought hats for the crew and I picked a hike through Chautauqua, one of my favorite places in Colorado. Then HalfDays took it a step further, recruiting other local companies for a killer post-hike party in the park!
Girls on the Run of the Rockies
All the donations went to an organization very close to my heart, Girls on the Run of the Rockies. I was a coach for GOTR in Minneapolis and saw firsthand how much of an impact it makes for young girls. The way it works is every semester GOTR has teams all over Colorado (and the world!) where girls in third-fifth grade meet and train for a 5K. But here’s the thing, it’s not really about running – every practice is more about instilling these girls with incredible confidence, a sense of self and understanding their potential is limitless. But watching the girls cross the finish line of the 5K is one of my favorite memories – accomplishing something that felt impossible just months before!
Local Companies Who Hopped on Board!
One of the reasons I love supporting local is because I’m always blown away by the willingness for companies to help their community. The post-hike picnic was done by the incredibly talented, Territory West Designs.
I kept saying over and over, this doesn’t feel like real life. We were lounging on pillows and persian rugs with the most gorgeous view of the Flatirons.
Quinn Pretzels
I had been buying Quinn Pretzels at Whole Foods for a while now and had no idea they were local! They’re based in Boulder and they donated snacks for everyone post-hike. Side note – my all time favorite hiking snack is peanut butter pretzels and theirs are hands down the best ones I’ve had, super crunchy outside but the peanut butter is actually creamy inside.
Honestly, the whole morning was perfect. Everyone who showed up shared a passion for the outdoors, adventures and making a difference in our community. They were all great humans, which became especially evident when the rain moved in and everyone worked to help clean up the picnic so the gorgeous Persian rugs didn’t get wet.
Thank you to everyone who made this event such a success! Especially these rocking women at HalfDays who made it all happen! (Also, their leggings are my new favorite)
*I’m not affiliated with or sponsored by any of the companies I mentioned – I just think it’s important to spotlight local companies that are stepping up and doing amazing things for our community*