I write to you with exciting news. Some of you may not be aware, but SheJumps is now an official 501c(3) organization. With that title comes the challenging but rewarding task of inspiring individuals to join their communities in order to achieve change. Although all of our daily realities are very different, one thing we all have in common is our ability to take action on things that we see necessary.
This winter will mark one of our first official program services: We will be taking girls and boys—of the Girls & Boys Club in SLC—to Alta Ski Area for four day-long camps of basic skiing skills (Jan. 3, 10, 17, 31). It is here that we need your help. It is our turn to give back the passion that mountain life has instilled into our lives and plant it into the minds and ambitions of local teens who have perhaps never even driven up Little Cottonwood Canyon. It is our aim to run these programs in a sustainable manner, including classroom and exercise sessions before the camps to get their bodies and minds ready for the challenge that the outside world can offer.
We want to know if you are interested in coaching the kids on any/all of the Saturdays at Alta and if you have any outerwear, ski boots, poles, or goggles that you don't currently use or wouldn't mind lending to the program. There will be a mandatory coaching session at Alta on December 5th and/or 6th where official PSIA techniques for teaching "never-evers" will be explained. Please let us know if there are any other ways you can help, maybe even with helping to shuttle gear, fitting the kids for their equipment, or finding food donations. This would be a great opportunity to work with your sponsors on getting involved. Remaining gear that is not claimed will stay in the SheJumps Gear Library to provide for future programs and help bridge the expensive gap that outdoor sports undoubtedly create.
SheJumps, at first glance, may seem to be all about women. In truth, our organization supports the naturally nurturing and communal nature of women. We feel it is time that adventurous, proactive, and inspired women come together to grow that energy in an organic way. Philanthropy is about seeing a need for a service and then starting a nonprofit organization. For all us involved in creating SheJumps, we saw the opportunity to increase women's presence in the outdoors and help women see their lives as a "manifest game" where anything is possible. We want to help women live the lives they've imagined—and do it in a healthy, sustainable, and exciting way!
Sincerely,
Claire Smallwood
Executive Director
SheJumps
