Help the Outing Club win the $10K Polartec challenge!
Skidmore's Outing Club is one of four finalists in this year's Polartec Made Possible Challenge, putting the club in the running for a $10,000 prize if it receives the highest number of votes in a Facebook-based challenge.
Polartec is the name of the company and the fleece product used in high-end outdoor and athletic wear. The company will award the winner of the competition a grant of $10,000 as well as a selection of clothing from its apparel line.
Winners of the competition will be determined by public voting on Facebook. Individuals may cast a vote each day until midnight Tuesday, Jan. 31. To vote, individuals must visit the Polartec Facebook page and "Like" the page. After hitting the "Like" button, viewers will be linked to the voting site, where they can view an Outing Club video and cast their vote for the Skidmore team. Schools competing in the contest created videos with footage of their programs and details about how they would spend the award, if declared the winners.
Skidmore's Outing Club hopes to use the money to start an outdoor afterschool/ weekend program for elementary through high school students of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Trips will range from short hikes through nature preserves in the area to overnight trips in the Adirondacks. Said Caroline (Coco) Loehr '12, past club president and current board member, "All trips will be run by Skidmore Outing Club leaders and will have an emphasis on teaching students how to be effective leaders and environmentally aware members of our community. Funding would be used specifically for school bus transportation and gear for the trips, training for Skidmore leaders, and starting initiatives to help sustain and expand the program in the future." Loehr spearheaded the effort to get the video made as part of the contest entry.
In addition to Skidmore, the other quarter-finalists are Princeton University, Northeastern University, and Lyon College.
Don't wait! Vote now and every day until Jan. 31!
