Travel That Matters: How Your Trip with OARS Helps Give Back

It’s always been one of the core values of OARS to give back to the places and communities where we operate. George Wendt, our fearless leader who passed away in July, made sure this was an important part of what we do at OARS and it won’t ever change. Because although he may have spearheaded the company’s commitment to giving, it’s really you, our guests, who we have to thank.

Year after year, it’s each of you who enable us to give to causes and organizations that make a difference. Whether you book a national park trip with OARS and we’re able to donate 1% to the Parks, or you go on a river trip with us out West and we can kick back a donation to a local organization or help give underserved youth in that area a meaningful outdoor experience, your travel with us matters.

2016 Giving at a Glance

In 2016, with your help, we’re proud to report that together we donated more than $50,000 to conservation partners like the National Park Foundation, Grand Canyon Trust, Idaho Rivers United, Utah Rivers Council, International Rivers and the Galapagos Traveler Conservation Fund.  But that’s just a fraction of what we have to celebrate this year.

We also ramped up our efforts to get more kids outside, and with support from anonymous donors, the Sierra Club, the University of Utah and the OARS Foundation, we also facilitated multi-day river trips for more than 150 veterans.

We couldn’t do it without you or our dedicated partners on the ground. As you can see in the infographic above, your travel directly helped organizations and people throughout the country this year. We have a lot to be thankful for.

With sincere appreciation,

The OARS Family