Trail Maintenance Workshop with REI and AMC
Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and Recreational Equipment, Inc (REI) have been working together since 1987. This long lasting partnership is due in large part to their complementary missions. AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of mountains, forests, waters and trails of the Appalachian region, while REI seeks to inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship.
An outdoor business giving back to the outdoors.
A conservation organization protecting the places we play.
The relationship between REI and AMC represents an example of how an outdoor business and an environmental non-profit can have a mutually beneficial partnership.
REI has provided grants, in-kind donations, and matching employee gifts, along with sponsoring in-store events to benefit the work of the Appalachian Mountain Club.
REI's support doesn't stop with financial support. Vice President of REI Gear and Apparel, Lee Fromson, has served on AMC's Board of Advisors since 2006, lending a business voice and working to further the role of AMC in the Appalachian region.
REI has also worked closely with AMC to develop the next generation of adventurers. For many years, local REI stores in the Boston area actively supported the AMC's Youth Opportunities Program a youth development initiative that engages more than 20,000 at-risk urban youth in outdoor wilderness adventures each year. More recently, REI stores in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have nominated AMC for grants to support volunteer trails skills and stewardship training sessions for adults.
As a result of REI's support and involvement, AMC has been able to expand programs, educate and inspire more individuals, and protect the Northeast's last wild places – giving REI's customers outdoor spaces in which to recreate and explore.