On October 27, the Blue Sky Fund will bring over 200 participants together to hike along the James River for their 7th Annual Hike For Kids. This special event brings member of the community out for a day of hiking that not only celebrates some of the best urban trails in the country, but also raises funds for Blue Sky’s programs.
The hike offers participants the option of a 3-, 8- or 14-mile loop along the James River Park System, departing from the Virginia War Memorial and returning to a family-friendly post-hike celebration with food, beer and live entertainment.
Transforming lives through outdoor education.
Studies reveal that children are spending half as much time outside today as they did 20 years ago, with most kids only spending four to seven minutes a day playing freely outside. The Blue Sky Fund believes that the outdoors should be a part of every child’s life, as time spent in nature is proven to support positive youth development, especially for urban at-risk children. Outdoor play, education, and enrichment helps children develop enhanced cooperation and conflict resolution skills, and increases their self-esteem, problem-solving, and motivation to learn.
Hike For Kids – and change lives.
Last year, Hike For Kids raised $30,000 to provide outdoor education programming to almost 2,000 students across Richmond during the 2017-2018 school year. This year’s event has a fundraising goal of $35,000 – all of which will directly support programs that provide transformational experiences in nature for these same children.
Want to know how you can get involved?
Registration for Hike For Kids is easy. Simply visit the Hike for Kids Registration Page and register as a fundraising participant or a non-fundraising participant. When you sign up as a fundraising participant, Blue Sky Fund will provide the tools and resources you need to help raise funds among your own networks. Plus, you’ll have a chance to win great outdoor gear prizes as you hit different fundraising milestones.
Blue Sky Fund is also launching new initiatives that allow event participants to hike up their support even more, including a Corporate Team Challenge that encourages local companies to recruit a team of participants for the chance to win an outdoor adventure day with the youth of Blue Sky Fund.
Registration is $40/person for hikers 8 years and older, $15/person for hikers between the ages of 4 and 18, and children 3 and under are free. All participants will receive an event t-shirt and access to the after-party with beer, food and extra fun for the family!
Sign your family up for Hike For Kids today!
If your family loves to explore the great outdoors, whether through hiking, biking, or simple exploration, then you know all too well the valuable benefits that being outside provides to children. Hike For Kids provides an ideal venue for indulging in your family’s own love of the outdoors, while ensuring that all children in the Richmond area have the chance to discover the beauty and transformative power of nature for themselves.
Hike For Kids is supported by the generous contributions of individual donors, as well as community sponsors, including Capital One, Dominion Energy, the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Blakemore Construction, Blue Ridge Outdoors, One Digital, Riverside Outfitters, Vasen Brewing Company, Health Warrior, Magellan Health, REI Co-Op, and Walkabout Outfitters.
About Blue Sky Fund
Blue Sky Fund is a non-profit organization providing transformational experiences to Richmond’s urban youth through outdoor education, and aims to give every young person in Richmond the opportunity to discover their selves by actively engaging the natural world. Founded in 2008, Blue Sky Fund has evolved to offer school-based, after-school, weekend, and summer outdoor programming that meets the following goals: help children achieve academic success, especially in the sciences, through active outdoor education that is appropriate for their current science curriculum; and develop character and leadership through outdoor experiences that expand horizons, increase confidence, and build collaboration skills.
