What started as a way for outdoor gear review guru J.T. VonLunen to rid himself of stacks of clothing and equipment has blossomed into a way to get excess or slightly used gear from big companies into the hands of nonprofits.
"I didn’t know what to do with all the stuff I had," said VonLunen, who, along with Gear to Grow co-founder Corey Kirkwood, graduated from Westminster College. "I started giving the stuff to different nonprofit groups."
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VonLunen then figured if he didn’t know what to do with the extra gear, perhaps major outdoor gear companies had the same problem.
He approached Backcountry.com, where his idea was immediately embraced. Kirkwood and VonLunen created Gear To Grow under Kirkwood’s Pacific Mountain Institute nonprofit company.
The initial donation was 1,400 wool hats. VonLunen contacted half a dozen nonprofits he thought might be interested, and soon Gear to Grow was officially acting as a broker of gently used gear.
"They were gone in a week," he said.
Backcountry.com, based out of West Valley City, has been a major contributor to the cause since that seemingly small start in December of 2009.
Marit Fischer, brand marketing director at Backcountry.com, said her company donated nine loads of gear last year equaling $423,000 in valued goods.
"We know there are a lot of groups out there that need gear, but that is not part of our giving guidelines, which are more environmental," she said. "This was a magical fit. We are helping nonprofits serve people with special needs and getting people involved in the outdoors. We are very happy with the relationship."
Gear to Grow asks its corporate partners to donate excess or slightly used gear and apparel. In many cases the gear is returned to the company without being used at all because it is a poor fit or it has a blemish or tear.
"This is slightly used, but high-quality gear. If we need to fix it up, we do or pass it along to the groups to fix," VonLunen said.
Nonprofits are asked to produce lists of items they need and Gear to Grow tries to match those needs with the items received at a storehouse in Midvale. Several Utah nonprofits are among those 80 national groups submitting their wish lists: National Abilities Center in Park City, Splore out of Salt Lake, Four Corners School of Monticello and Rivers of Recovery in Park City.
Utilizing its relationship with Westminster College, the company sometimes holds fundraising sales on the campus to help with the costs of storing, doing inventory and shipping the gear.
"It is an indirect way for us to get people slightly used gear," VonLunen said. "During the last sale we were able to help people get snowboard kits for a reasonable price that people otherwise may not have been able to afford."
VonLunen said they will start selling at the warehouse in the near future and details will be shared on the website — geartogrow.org.
Westminster also participated in Gear to Grow last winter when the school created a day on the slopes for young refugees to experience skiing at Solitude Ski Resort. It was not a loaner program — youths involved in the event got to keep their hats, coats and gloves.
Gear to Grow is also using another Utah connection to collect gear and get on the radar of more big companies.
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