Charitable Giving

Adventure Activism, Africa, Charitable Giving, Ethiopia, philanthropy, Photography / 18.11.2013

In our modern world so beautifully illustrated in digital images it’s easy to forget the value of the printed photograph. With literally billions of pictures making their way through cyber space every second of every day few of us take the time to preserve those fleeting moments of our lives that are quickly forgotten but can be instantly retrieved with a few mouse clicks on a computer or taps on the touch screen of an iPad. With Facebook and Instagram we catalog and share these captured bits of...

Adventure Activism, BASE Jumping, Charitable Giving, Commentary, The Give Review, Yosemite / 14.11.2013

I have a soft spot in my heart for anyone with the audacity to believe he can fly. I’m even more impressed by those who actually figure out a way to make it happen. So whenever I see one of these wonderful maniacs fall I want to do all that I can to help them get back on their feet. I’m willing to lend a hand because they’re the ones who inspire the rest of us to believe that anything is possible. My friend Ammon McNeely needs some...

Adventure Activism, Adventure Media Review, Afghanistan, Charitable Giving, Cycling, Film preview / 11.10.2013

  I first met Shannon Galpin in 2007, about a year after she created her non-profit Mountain 2 Mountain. Hoping to find a common bond between the alpine culture of her home community in Breckenridge Colorado and rugged the high altitude provinces of Afghanistan she works to create empowerment opportunities for women and girls to help them lead better lives through education, family planning and economic development. Shannon’s efforts throughout this often volatile conflict zone have done much to demonstrate the impact that one person can make to improve...

Adventure Activism, Adventure Film, Charitable Giving, Climbing, Healthy Living, Life Out Loud, Madison, People with disabilities, philanthropy / 20.02.2013

The Joy Trip Project is pleased to present a free screening of the film High Ground by Michael Brown at the Marquee Theater in Union South on the UW Madison Campus on March 5th at 7PM. This inspiring feature follows the true story of 11 wounded Iraq and Afghan war veterans who overcome their injuries to climb a 20,000-foot mountain peak in the Himalaya. Recovering from the catastrophic effects of blindness, amputation and post-trauma stress these fallen heroes rise up to reclaim their lives and overcome a great...

Adventure Activism, Adventure Media Review, Afghanistan, Africa, Art, Charitable Giving, Influencers, Interview / 10.02.2013

Following up her 2012 "Streets of Afghanistan" project social activist Shannon Galpin has launched a new initiative to raise awareness for the plight of women and girls in Central Asia. Afghan Dreamers is a new book now in production with the help of Make Stuff Sharp that aims to further incorporate art as a powerful vehicle of change meant to transform one of the most violent and politically charged regions of the world. "Art has a power to reach people viscerally in a way that other work doesn't," Galpin...

Adventure Activism, Charitable Giving, Climbing, Environmental Justice, Interview / 10.01.2013

National Geographic Young Explorer Asa Firestone wants to inspire kids through climbing. Though not a particularly original concept in itself, the idea aims to gain traction in a unique location: the crime-ridden slums of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Armed with an MBA from the Marshal School of Business at the University of Southern California, Firestone plans to build a social and economic alternative to life in gangs along with a climbing wall and the educational infrastructure to train young people as alpine athletes and commercial guides. Known locally as...