Annual Spring Fun(!)draiser
The first signs of spring bring so much to look forward to: birdsong, flowers, little calves, mud, and best of all, Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance’s first-ever Earth Week 5K fundraiser! Our goal is to encourage people to get outside and to raise some money to support our outdoor youth and community education programming.
There are two great ways you can participate. Join us in East Glacier for a fun 5K loop on Sunday, April 21st. All types of human locomotion welcome: run, walk, hike, bike, or roll, whatever you prefer. If you can’t make East Glacier, complete a 5K route of your choice anywhere in the world anytime during Earth Week. Then share your adventures on our social media event page or during our online award ceremony at the end of the week.
There is no cost to participate – we want to keep this accessible to everyone. However, donations are strongly encouraged. Consider forming a fundraising team to encourage friends and family to support this event. Awards and prizes for finishers as well as for top fundraising individuals and teams. If you can’t participate, consider sponsoring the event!
All information and sign-ups are on our event website.
The Good the Love Your Mother Earth Week Fundraiser Supports
At Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance, we believe the outdoors is for us all, and that all people should be able to experience the wonder, joy, healing, or transformative power of nature. Unfortunately, far too many people in our community, especially youth, face barriers, lack opportunity, or do not feel welcome recreating in the outdoors, especially on public lands. As an organization “dedicated… to the shared enjoyment of the Badger-Two Medicine” and other public lands, we are committed to help change this reality.
A key priority for Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance moving forward is to expand our existing efforts to improve access to the outdoors. We envision a future where all people in our community, regardless of income, race, gender identity, or cultural heritage, have equitable opportunity to explore, learn, and benefit from spending time in wild places.
For the past few years we’ve been working with teachers, community members, and other local organizations to get kids, young adults, veterans, and other traditionally underrepresented demographics outside. We’ve led field trips for local middle and high school students, Blackfeet Community College, and other educational institutions into the Badger-Two Medicine. We’ve facilitated camping trips for high school students to learn outdoor skills and from cultural knowledge holders and science teachers. We’ve sponsored the Piikani Lands Crew (an all-Blackfeet young adult conservation crew) to fight weeds and maintain trails. We assist Terry Tatsey with his annual Sah Ko Mii Tah Pii cultural camp for youth to learn Blackfeet outdoor practices and ethics. And we offer free, educational hikes or other outdoor learning adventures to anyone in the community.
We are just getting started. Our board and staff have initiated a strategic discernment and listening process to identify how as an organization we can best support the needs of the community and partner with other local organizations and leaders in this effort. We expect to hire a part-time coordinator to develop and lead this program.
The Love Your Mother Earth Week 5k is a great way to support these and other efforts to get youth and other people outside. It’s also a great excuse to get outside yourself, or to encourage others to do likewise. Please join us for a 5K during Earth week, donate any amount if you're able, or organize a fundraising team to raise greater financial support. Together we can create a future where nature’s blessings truly are accessible to us all.
