Adventure Crew
Adventure Crew, The Green Umbrella, The Ohio River Way, and Paddlefest
In 2011, RRT became corporate sponsors and donors for the Ohio River Way. At the time, Ohio River Way was the organizing group behind the Ohio River Paddlefest. Paddlefest is the premier paddling event in the Midwest and sees over 2,000 people paddle their way down the Ohio River. RRT remains a partner and financial sponsor for Paddlefest today. The Ohio River Way, along with RRT, were the leadership behind the Tri-State Guide to the Outdoors, a yearly free publication that highlights the area’s outdoor recreation.
Later, the Ohio River Way would be operated as part of Green Umbrella, a not-for-profit that aims at making Cincinnati one of the 10 most sustainable metro areas. RRT continues their financial support for Green Umbrella and their sponsorship of Paddlefest. In 2014 and 2015, RRT donated their efforts to make the Guide to the Outdoors publication possible. RRT owner Emily became one of the largest content contributors and organizers for the magazine and would see it reach new heights. The Green Umbrella would also host the Great Outdoor Weekend across the tri-state, providing over 100 free opportunities to get outside and experience something new. Since 2012, RRT has sponsored the event and often hosts a free event for participants.
Meanwhile, another organization was getting started: the Outdoor Adventure Clubs were formed in 2013 with RRT being one of their very first cooperating partners. The OAC is directed at getting more under-served students into nature by providing free school-based outdoor recreation, education, and conservation opportunities for urban teens. RRT immediately started working with the group, showing up to schools to promote the new club and traveling to different schools to present to club members and get them excited and prepared for outdoor events. RRT has also helped lead local hiking trips for the inner-city youth in the club. In 2017, we began co-sponsoring WVXU radio spots with OAC to raise awareness and fundraising efforts.
Working with Columbia, we were able to secure a grant for the OAC in early 2017 totaling $5,000 of equipment and financing. In April of 2017, we hosted our first annual Fashion Show Fundraising event with Fifty West Brewery to benefit the OAC and raised almost $1,500. Our efforts were doubled in 2018 to raise $3,000! Today we continue to be financial sponsors, but also help with gear donations for the club’s events. If you have old outdoor equipment or clothing, please consider donating it to the club through RRT. Any donation is rewarded with a 10% discount on same-day purchases. Look for RRT to join with the OAC throughout the year for significant raffle donations as well; support the OAC and test your luck with a different outdoor package every month, including RRT packages worth hundreds of dollars!
The OAC also adopted Paddlefest for 2016 and looks to expand their outreach and programs. As of 2019, the organization has now transformed to the “Adventure Crew” and continues to improve the lives and outlook for hundreds of area youth. Please consider supporting their efforts any way you can, and look for our fashion show fundraising event every year (tickets are limited and do sell out!). For more information visit the link below.
