PRESS RELEASE: Outdoor Outreach, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing high-quality outdoor programs for at-risk youth, has partnered with ZOIC for the past two years and transformed an ordinary day for some of the underprivileged youth of Outdoor Outreach into a fun-filled day of mountain bikes, dirt, and games.
This year the 3rd annual Outdoor Outreach and ZOIC youth ride will partner with the National Trails Day event on Saturday, June 6th at Los Peñasquitos Canyon Reserve. The Outdoor Outreach/ZOIC ride will commence at 11:30 a.m. after a full morning of trail maintenance. The service project will begin at 8:45 a.m., followed by free lunch, pony rides, music, and a sponsored giveaway from 10-2 p.m. ZOIC and other event sponsors will be raffling off several prizes, 100% of the proceeds going to Outdoor Outreach. To pre-purchase your raffle tickets before the event or for more information, visit www.zoic.com/ntd.
“By having ZOIC put their energy and resources into this event, it allows Outdoor Outreach a venue to create local community awareness for the youth we serve as well as an opportunity to raise donations. All donations will allow us to grow capacity throughout our organization and help us continue to transform the lives of at-risk youth through comprehensive outdoor programming,” said Chris Rutgers, executive director of Outdoor Outreach.
Ashley Bridges of ZOIC stated, “We love being outside, experiencing the moment, and connecting with our pursuits; helping people achieve their outdoor goals motivates us. When we can be a part of a child’s first biking experience and to help them to succeed and grow a life long love of being on the bike, it’s a pretty cool experience.â€Â
“This is an amazing opportunity for our organization to build awareness in the community for the youth we serve. Each year our youth look forward to this fun-filled day and we couldn’t do it without the support of ZOIC,†Rutgers said.
About Outdoor Outreach (www.outdooroutreach.org)
Outdoor Outreach programs support underserved youth in San Diego County who are at risk for school dropout, substance abuse, violence and unintended pregnancy. They are the only agency in San Diego and one of just a few in the country to utilize outdoor physical experiences to provide youth with the support, relationships, resources and opportunities they need to become successful adults. Since its founding in 1999, Outdoor Outreach has taken more than 4,500 youth on over 1,300 outings, including rock climbing, snowboarding, surfing, snorkeling, mountain biking and backpacking. In 2009, they expect to serve 700 youth through 275 outings.
About ZOIC (www.zoic.com)
ZOIC was formed in 1994 on the mountain biking trails of the Marin Headlands. The belief was that clothing plays an integral role in connecting you to the active outdoor experience. ZOIC was the first company to successfully integrate the baggy mountain bike short into the mainstream cycling conscious. ZOIC has always been a grassroots, organic corporation, eschewing mainstream media, advertising, and athlete sponsorship, while focusing on local race sponsorships, kids programs, industry events, and general cycling advocacy programs.
