by Jess Evans
December 17, 2018
After Shawn, Dallas, Alicia, and I worked out the details of setting up Athena Adventures (A2) as a partner of 361° Adventures, Alicia and I began to formulate what kind of company we wanted A2 to be. Of course, it is an adventure racing company, but due to our love of nature and the outdoors, we wanted to give back to non-profit organizations and communities that also love nature and the outdoors.
Earlier in 2018, we put on an adventure race fundraiser for Little Miami Watershed Network in Bellbrook, Ohio. It was an adventure race style event, but also allowed participants to learn about the watershed at each checkpoint they visited. Families could spend quality time in the outdoors while learning about the Little Miami watershed. We are planning to have a similar fundraiser in 2019 for this non-profit.
In early summer of 2019, we are going to have the Quarry Mt Quest, an adventure race fundraiser for the Routt County Search and Rescue. Routt County is in northern Colorado along the Continental Divide with the Yampa River, the only free flowing river in Colorado, flowing west through the county. The Search and Rescue volunteers are dedicated to assisting and rescuing recreantionalists in the mountains year round. This fundraiser will bring in funds to help them train their volunteers and maintain their equipment.
Additionally, we are talking to some friends of ours in British Columbia, Canada who are working towards helping their rural community live sustainably. They have begun to take the first steps and as their efforts evolve, we want to help them showcase what they have done. We are now tossing around the idea of using the adventure race format to allow community members and anyone from outside the community see their progress through a race, giving participants a chance to see the beautiful wilderness around this community as well.
As Athena Adventures grows, we are learning that the sky is the limit. Through these techniques of working with non-profits and communities bringing awareness to their goals, we hope to expand the awareness of adventure racing and give back to the many great non-profits and communities we interact with.
