Grand Rapids, Community Partners Launch Outdoor Gear Donation Drive

Press release from the City of Grand Rapids:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The City of Grand Rapids and Our Community’s Children today announced the launch of an outdoor gear donation drive Sept. 20 to Oct. 10. Donations will support a new public gear library for use in local parks and green spaces. The library will lend outdoor recreation equipment to youth, families, teachers and organizations.

The gear library and donation drive are part of the Thrive Outside Grand Rapids Initiative. Thrive Outside is a collaborative effort supported by the Outdoor Foundation that works to intentionally engage youth, particularly persons of color in neighborhoods with a lack of green space, in repeated outdoor experiences.

To stock the gear library, Thrive Outside community partners invite members of the public to donate lightly used or new camping and hiking gear at the following locations:

• Bill and Paul’s Sporthaus, 1200 E. Paris Ave. SE – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
• Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department, 201 Market Ave. SW – 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
• John Ball Zoo, 1300 Fulton St. W. – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day
• Switchback Gear Exchange, 2166 Plainfield Ave. NE – noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

Those who donate will receive discounts to participating outdoor retailers.

The Roosevelt Park Lodge, 739 Van Raalte Drive SW, will house the primary gear library. The library will go on the road, bringing sporting goods, outdoor games and other equipment to parks across Grand Rapids this fall. Camping and hiking gear and training will be added in 2021.

“We’re thrilled to launch the gear library, which will connect youth and families with new outdoor experiences and increase access to nature,” said Lynn Heemstra, executive director of Our Community’s Children. “It is now more important than ever that youth are spending time outdoors.”

Other partners in the Thrive Outside Grand Rapids initiative include the Audubon Club, Blandford Nature Center, Boys & Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth, Camp Newaygo, ELO Network, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Groundswell, Latino Outdoors, Merrell, Outdoor Afro, Sierra Club, West Michigan Environmental Action Council, Wolverine Worldwide and Woosah Outfitters.

To learn more about Thrive Outside Grand Rapids and see a list of acceptable donation items, CLICK HERE.

This press release was produced by the City of Grand Rapids. The views expressed are the author's own.