Helping youth get outdoors and carve a new path

• Elevation Outdoors gives kids access to recreation
• Sports teach life skills and is positive outlet
• Charity hosting film festival to continue funding programs

Since 2007, Elevation Outdoors has made sure that any kid, regardless of their situation, has the chance to enjoy all the recreation that the Okanagan has to offer.

Based in Kelowna, mentors and volunteers take youth mountain biking, snowboarding, rock climbing, and more.

“The evidence and the research out there shows even one positive adult role model in your life can really change the trajectory of a child’s life over the long term,” Mike Greer, executive director for Outdoor Elevation told Kelowna10.

He explained how they deliberately choose outdoor sports with a steep learning curve to teach the kids about perseverance.

“We try and draw the parallels between sport and life to give them that life lesson,” Greer said.

The youth that Elevation takes under its wing come from a variety of situations; low income, in foster care, social assistance programs, food insecurity, in a restorative justice program, referred by a mental health clinician, etc.

“When you’re having fun doing something outdoors, you’re avoiding other situations. It’s a positive outlet,” volunteer Harrison Nicholls said.

He’s been a volunteer with Elevation Outdoors for about two years. He was approached by Greer to volunteer while sitting on a chair lift going up Big White. Nicholls is working towards becoming a teacher.

“It’s very rewarding [to volunteer]. You can see the progression from the first day to the last. For most of these kids, it was their first day on a snowboard and already they’re turning their way down the hill.”

Elevation Outdoors relies on support from the community and sponsors to make these programs accessible.

Big White has hosted outdoor programs for snowboarding and mountain biking since Elevation’s inception.

One Boardshop has held fundraisers and donates used lightly equipment for the charity to use.

Elevation has a program where, for graduating youth, they are often gifted with their own boards and outerwear. That equipment may come from the board shop or snowboard company sponsors Lib Tech and GNU.

On Friday, Jan. 21, Elevation is hosting the online Wild and Scenic Film Festival, with all proceeds going to their programs. Twelve films will stream online, and the movies will be available on-demand for five days after.

Tickets for the film festival are $25 for households of up to two people, or $40 for households of three or more.