Kahtoola, creator of award-winning MICROspikes®, EXOspikes™ and NANOspikes® brand traction and performance-driven gaiters, is happy to announce that its “Kahtoola for the People” grant program has awarded $28,000 in the first quarter of 2021. Recipients include Zanskar Films, Esperanca, One New Education and Elevate Nepal. Celebrating its 22nd year of giving, Kahtoola’s next round of grant applications will be reviewed in June and nonprofits are encouraged to apply by June 1, 2021 at Kahtoola.com.
First up was a $10,000 grant to Elevate Nepal to support its mission to provide the Nepalese people access to resources for the responsible development of a sustainable community. Building on a Kahtoola grant from 2020, Elevate Nepal continues its work with the Ananda Jyoti Agriculture School in the community of Begnas Tal, Nepal. This year’s grant money will help pay for teacher salaries, the purchase of land, improve school technology and support for scholarship programs for incoming students to learn about sustainable, organic agriculture.
The second $10,000 grant of 2021 was awarded to Esperanca to focus on youth health initiatives in three rural communities of the Q’eros Nation in the Peruvian region of the Andes. Grant funds will be utilized to connect with 148 indigenous families to assist with projects that improve the nutritional status and quality of life of children and adolescents. Funds will assist in projects that reduce chronic malnutrition and improve oral health. For more information on Esperanca’s work, please visit https://www.esperanca.org/.
Zanskar Films received a $5,602 grant to fund its documentary, “Winter in Zanskar,” filmed by local Zanskaris in Zanskar, India. The film’s mission is to capture and preserve this unique culture and people based in the isolated Zanskar Valley as the modern world inches closer every day. Historically, Zanskar, a network of self-sustained communities, is inaccessible for half the year during the harsh winter. However, Zanskar’s snow is melting and a new road is being constructed, both of which are threatening ancient customs and rare endemic species of the Himalayas. A preview trailer of the documentary is now available for viewing.
Wrapping up this round of “Kahtoola for the People” grants was an award of $2,500 to One New Education to cover school expenses for three girls in the town of Dhulikhel, about 30 km east of Kathmandu, Nepal.
“For the past 22 years, we’ve felt extremely fortunate to share our company’s success with inspiring nonprofits and projects working to empower people and improve communities around the globe,” said Danny Giovale, founder of Kahtoola. “Kahtoola for the People grants have become a heartfelt way for us to contribute to work that directly improves people’s lives, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help support the work of these amazing nonprofits in 2021.”
For more information on Kahtoola for the People grants or to submit an application, please visit Kahtoola.com.
About Kahtoola:
Since 1999, Kahtoola has been creating reliable gear that makes the outdoors more accessible and rewarding. Kahtoola’s flexible footwear traction systems, including MICROspikes®, EXOspikes™ and NANOspikes®, are built to improve safety and performance in wintry locales around the globe. Every product from hiking crampons to running gaiters are thoughtfully designed and vigorously tested at the brand’s Flagstaff, AZ headquarters high on the Colorado Plateau. Owned and operated by founder Danny Giovale, Kahtoola proudly grants 1% of annual sales to fund projects that support indigenous cultures and improve communities, healthcare, education, resources and the environment. For more information, please visit Kahtoola.com.
