First, thank you for taking the time to click on the link that brought you to this page! It means you care about helping us reach our goal of $60,000 for preventative search and rescue (PSAR) programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The money raised will fund two seasonal rangers, who will implement a robust PSAR program under the direction of Liz Hall, the park’s emergency management director. This program will undoubtedly save lives, so kudos to you for caring about other people with your support!
Speaking of contributing, if you’d like to just make a straight up donation, here’s the place to do that on Friends of the Smokies website. Using this link guarantees the funds will be earmarked towards our $60,000 goal.
We have also created some unique ways to donate, which benefit YOU in the process! Curious? If so, read on!
And if you’d like to follow the journey and excitement of my fastest known time (FKT) attempt in the Smokies, which I’m doing with my one of my good friends, Chris Ford, here’s the best place to follow our progress.
Professional Photography
The Smokies community is blessed with talented photographers who flawlessly capture the beauty and mood of a scene. Whether it’s a mountain vista or a tiny wildflower, the work is stunning. Several of these photographers donated a high resolution digital files of their work in exchange for a $25 donation.
Here’s how it works:
- Donate $25 to the fundraiser through this link on Friends of the Smokies website (if you’d like more than one photograph, donate $25 per file that you’d like to receive)
- Fill out this form to indicate which photograph(s) you’d like.
- Once you have the digital file, you can print it to whatever size you’d like (on any type of medium that you like–canvas, paper, etc.). Voila, you have the best deal ever on a professional photographer’s work!
BIG thanks to the following photographers for donating these image files to the cause!
Blue Ridge Reflections by Kristi Parsons
Up ‘N Adam Adventures (Adam Gravett, Adam Ozment and Adam Williamson)
Gold and amber hues fill the tree canopy surrounding the Middle Prong Little River at Tremont in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, by Kristina Plass
Online Auction
Thanks to a fantastic list of companies and individuals who care about our mission, we have created an online auction of donated gear and services. It’s an extensive list, with plenty of items to tickle the fancy of outdoor enthusiasts.
So take a peek at the auction, share it with your friends, and by all means, bid on something if it interests you!
**Please note that 100% of the revenue from this auction will be donated to this fundraiser. Proof of this donation will be provided to the public, on request. If you win an auction item, your purchase is not tax deductible.
BIG thanks to the brands and individuals who generously donated to the auction. Links to these amazing companies and individuals may be found below the logo graphic.
Gaia GPS (I am a “First Promotor” for Gaia GPS which allows me the privilege of extending a 20- 50% discount by using this link)
Gosssamer Gear (I proudly represent Gossamer Gear as an ambassador!)
Contests and Giveaways
Thanks to the generosity of companies that support our mission to raise $60,000 for PSAR programming in the Smokies, we have created a collection of contests with amazing prizes! You can enter each contest for a small donation ($5 or $10). You may enter as many contests as you’d like, to increase your odds of winning and help the cause!
$10 CONTESTS
Enter one of our $10 donation contests (prize packages are pictured below and described in the links to each contest).
**The $10 contests will end on 9/17/20
Contest 1: How many days do you think it will take Nancy and Chris to hike all the trails in the Smokies?
Contest 2: How many total miles will Nancy and Chris hike?
Contest 3: How many miles will Nancy and Chris hike on their biggest mileage day?
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- Prize package for the winner who guesses our biggest mileage day
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- Prize package for the winner who guesses how many miles we’ll hike by the end.
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- Prize package for the winner who guesses how many days it will take us to hike all the Smokies trails.
$5 CONTESTS
The winner of each $5 contest receives 1-year subscription to Gaia GPS, Nancy and Chris’ navigation app of choice.
Here’s a video I created about the benefits of using Gaia GPS, to help get you started with it.
**$5 contests will run through 10/15/20 (except for the first one, as indicated below).
Starting trailhead guess for our Tour de Smokies Experience (this contest ends on 9/3/20, just FYI)
Navigation Techniques and Tips Contest
How to Stay Safe and Found Contest
Waterfalls of the Smokies Contest
Big thanks to Gaia GPS for donating 10 Premium subscriptions to our fundraiser!
P.S. Any supporter of the fundraiser is eligible to receive a 20-50% discount off a Gaia GPS subscription by using this link.
THANK YOU for your support and Happy Trails!
Nancy “Seal Mom” and Chris “Pacer”
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