The Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning’s (HMCOL) second annual Mountain Sports Gear Sale will be back on Nov. 2.
“While we are so lucky in B.C. that there are already options for everyone to be able to enjoy the great outdoors, we recognize the high cost of some sport-specific gear and the need for a wide range of gear especially in the colder, wetter seasons, and so we want to help address that by making such items available at a lower cost,” said HMCOL Executive Director Kristine Pérez de León.
“Connecting people to nature is our top priority at HMCOL. Everyone is feeling the financial pinch these days, so we’re trying out a new idea to help people enjoy the outdoors more easily, while also raising funds to help us pay for all the charitable work we do to this end.
“As a non-profit, the continuation of our programs and projects relies on funding from grants as well as support from individuals who believe in our mission and want to help us make it happen.”
Taking place at Silver Creek Elementary School (SCES), from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the sale allows the public to access both new and used outdoor recreation equipment at an affordable cost. The items, which have all be donated, helps to make mountain sports more accessible. Meanwhile, proceeds from the sale, which is also a fundraiser for HMCOL, will go toward supporting the charity’s operations.
Items can still be donated for the sale and HMCOL is asking community members to both attend this sale, and consider donating new or used items. The charity said they are especially interested in donations of mountain sports gear, both new and old.
For anyone planning to donate some equipment, HMCOL asks “that all donated items be clean, and in good or better, safe, usable condition, and brought to a drop-off location in Hope.”
Equipment for the following mountain sports/recreation activities can be donated (though people are welcome to donate equipment for outdoor activities not on the list): hiking, snowshoeing, trail running, camping, backpacking, mountain biking, gravel and road biking, bike packing, downhill skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing, ski touring and split boarding, ice skating, rock climbing, ice climbing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, pack rafting, birding, wildlife viewing.
Aside from purchasing outdoor equipment, the event will have music, snacks, and a 50/50 draw. As it will not be provided, HMCOL is asking people to bring their own bags for their purchased items.
The entry fee for the fundraising event is $2 per person or $5 for the entire family. The fee can be paid at the door.
Officially registered as a charity on June. 23, 2009, Hope Mountain Centre works to strengthen people’s connection and stewardship towards nature. The organization started as an officially registered society in 2005, as a Fraser-Cascade School District program called “Hope Mountain School.” Three years later, the organization split into two distinct groups, one being the Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning and the other being the Fraser-Cascade Mountain School (FCMS).
They are responsible for maintaining and caring for over 20 plus trails in or near Hope, all the way up to the Coquihalla.
To make a donation, readers can contact kperezdeleon@hopemountain.org or call or text (778)918-4915.
To learn more about the event visit https://www.hopemountain.org/mountain-sports-gear-sale
