San Diego, Calif. (July 20, 2022) -- As a Certified B Corp, Athletic Brewing Company, the leading non-alcoholic craft brewer in the U.S., is committed to giving back to foundations and organizations aligned with the brand values to protect the environment and outdoor spaces. To support this work, Athletic Brewing’s Two for the Trails program is proud to announce that it will be donating just over $1MM in 2022 to 106 grantee winners as part of the largest donation program in the outdoor space.
Two for the Trails, named after Athletic Brewing’s founder Bill Shufelt’s family tradition of taking two beers to toast post-trail adventures, is the charitable initiative protecting public spaces at the heart of Athletic’s mission to encourage responsible and fun outdoor immersion. The program has been in place since 2018 and has donated a grand total of $2.5M to 146 organizations focused on land and trail conservation.
In 2022, 190 applications from almost every state in the US, plus six from Canada, six from Australia, and two from the UK, made up the robust and diverse application pool for the $1MM Athletic Brewing has designated for the foundations and organizations dedicated to trail maintenance and protection.
Cara Wilson, Athletic Brewing’s B Corp Manager, is proud to have not only led the brand’s donations initiatives this year but also to have achieved Athletic Brewing’s certification as a B Corp brand in May of 2022. “This year, the donation to these amazing entities focused on public land protection is even more important and impactful, as we see a serious lack of focus and work being done around environmental matters and issues at a national level”, said Wilson. “We also saw an increase in organizations focused on a more inclusive outdoor space such as across ADA access, park maintenance, urban greenspace, and protection of waterways. Urban and water related cleanups were two ‘new’ criteria for the grant this year, aligning with Athletic Brewing’s increased focus on inclusivity in outdoor recreation, conservation and equitable access to nature.”
Wilson and the Athletic Brewing team are thrilled to announce the winners of 2022 Two for the Trails program, some notable and diverse grantee winners include the Sandy Point Foreshore Committee of Management in Victoria, Australia, Valdez Adventure Alliance of Valdez, Alaska, Green Mountain Club in Vermont, The South West Coast Path Association out of the UK, West Yellowhead Trail Society in Alberta, Canada, Surfers Against Sewage of the UK, Connecticut Forest & Park Association, Inc., San Diego Mountain Biking Association, Latino Outdoors based in California, and Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association in BC, Canada.
Luis Villa, Executive Director of Latino Outdoors, said; "In creating meaningful outdoor recreational experiences for our community of participants, our national network of volunteers, many of whom are conservationists, ecologists, and environmental educators, love underscoring the importance of environmental stewardship and incorporating it in the Latino Outdoors experience. This Two for the Trails grant will be invaluable to us as we continue to engage in responsible recreation."
Susie Murphy, Executive Director at San Diego Mountain Biking Association (SDMBA), shared that; "The San Diego Mountain Biking Association is so appreciative to be included in the Two for the Trails Program. Knowing we have this support is very important as we plan our trail work for the upcoming winter trail building season here in San Diego, and that Athletic Brewing Company values trails as much as we do, is very inspiring to us.”
“The caliber of grantee applicants was absolutely exceptional this year,” Athletic Brewing’s Wilson continues, “and this encourages us that we’re doing the right thing by supporting various entities in making national, and global, scale change for the environment. Athletic Brewing is committed to the concept that together we can make a difference, and we hope to continue to lead the charge in protecting the places we recreate for generations to come.”
Along with Two for the Trails, Athletic donates 1% of all sales to supporting opportunity and positive impact in communities across the nation.
For more information on Athletic Brewing, please visit https://athleticbrewing.com/
For more information on Two for the Trails, please visit https://athleticbrewing.com/pages/two-for-the-trails
