Organization to use money to continue growth of successful Adventures Days program
For seven years, Eagle Mount has staged Adventure Days to allow children with disabilities the opportunity to get outdoors and experience the wonder and enjoyment Montana’s summers have to offer. With the boost of a $50,000 Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT), the Bozeman-based nonprofit organization hopes to continue the program’s successful track record.
“Let me just say, a gift in that amount is huge for us,” Mary Peterson, Eagle Mount Executive Director said. “It’s mostly for Adventure Days, which is a program that serves all of our participants, and increasingly, all of their families. That’s the area where we most needed to grow. The fact that BCBSMT has done this targeted support for us is going to make a huge difference.”
Participant activities include hiking, backpacking, fishing, kayaking, rafting, singing, swimming, golfing, and more. Conceived in 2010 as a six-week program, Adventure Days has grown each year, and now is eight weeks long, includes friends and family days, and participation in 2016 was at an all-time high.
“Countless studies show a direct correlation between time spent outdoors and improved physical and mental well-being in children,” said John Doran, divisional vice president of external affairs and chief of staff at BCBSMT. “Eagle Mount’s Adventure Days are a prime way for kids in the Bozeman area to have fun while exploring Montana’s wondrous outdoor recreation. It’s our hope that this turns them on to a lifelong passion for an active, healthy lifestyle.”
Adventure Days 2016 included a mix of outings and adventures for six different groups of participants. A pre-season open house gives participants, families, and volunteers a chance to learn about the activities and consider whether to sign up for the entire program or specific days. Family Days continued to be a huge hit, so siblings, parents, and caregivers could experience white water rafting with participants. And Eagle Mount’s end-of-season campout is now a beloved tradition.
With support from the grant, Eagle Mount intends to:
- Provide the outdoor therapeutic recreation, which fosters independence, confidence, learning, as well as lifelong friendships.
- Maintain a mix of safe, fun activities that offer unique learning experiences, such as kayaking, rock climbing, fishing, rafting, and hiking.
- Recruit enthusiastic volunteers and interns whose lives will also be transformed by Adventure Days as they share the activities they love with participants.
- Continue to develop strong partnerships with outfitters, guides, and vendors for rafting, climbing, fishing, zip lining, and many other activities.
- Build on the scheduling changes of summer 2016 and continue to serve those who want to be a part of Adventure Days.
- Provide at least two family days where parents, siblings, and caregivers are able to join an adventure.
- Continue to offer to two four-week sessions, with the campout in between, to accommodate more participants.
- Continue working on the design of a supplementary summer program Eagle Mount hopes to launch in 2018 after completion of a campus renovation. The new program, "Eagle Mount Days," will take advantage of amenities on site, while maintaining the essential features of Adventure Days.
HKHF is a signature program of BCBSMT and part of an ongoing commitment to invest in and partner with nonprofit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs to reach children and their families in the five following areas:
- Nutrition
- Physical activity
- Disease prevention and management
- Supporting safe environments
- Suicide prevention
The $50,000 HKHF grant is one of four BCBSMT awards each year.