Below is a news release from Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors.
Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors was awarded $25,000 from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Torstenson Family Endowment Hunting Heritage Grant Program. These funds will be used to increase our efforts to get kids out hunting and fishing through outdoor mentorship.
Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors has been engaged in recruiting mentors for at-risk youth since its beginnings in 2002. RMEF was one of the first to step up and help launch the outdoor mentoring efforts of Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors in 2002. Last year, our program coordinators planned over 500 events across the states of Kansas and Iowa which resulted in getting over 1,200 kids outdoors through mentorship. Since fall of 2019, Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors has doubled the number of hunts year over year and is expecting to organize over 700 hunts in 2023, growing by another 50 percent.
Brittany French, Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors CEO commented, “Our program is identifying barriers that youth face when becoming a hunter or angler. We are working every day to break those barriers by providing new and continued hunting and fishing opportunities to youth interested in becoming an outdoorsman/woman. By providing access, social support and guidance from vetted volunteer mentors, thousands of kids each year are reaping the benefits of the outdoors. With the generosity from RMEF, we are going to be able to serve more deserving youth in the outdoors!”
“As an organization that seeks to ensure the future of our hunting heritage, RMEF is happy and proud to support the good work carried out by Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors. Introducing more boys and girls to the outdoors helps instill a love and appreciation of our wildlife, conservation and hunting, which they can both cherish and carry over to future generations,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer.
“As our model evolves to adapt to the outdoor culture of differing areas, we see tremendous opportunities for its growth and expansion,” shared Mike Christensen, President of Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors. “As we establish our program in new areas, we expect to see our growth continue at a rapid rate. But none of this would be possible without the strong support we have received from RMEF since the very beginning. When organizations can partner and leverage our expertise, we can make great things happen for kids in the outdoors!”
(Photo credit: Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors)