Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc. Receives Grant From Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund
Wichita, KS, January 30, 2024. Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors announced today the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund has awarded a grant to Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors to further their mission to get kids out hunting and fishing through outdoor mentorship.
The need for this program was necessitated by the steady decline in hunting and fishing licenses sales since the early ‘80’s. If this decline continues, our state fish and wildlife agencies will lose the funding needed to conserve wildlife across our great nation. In fact, a recent US Fish and Wildlife survey indicates that fewer than five percent of youth sixteen years of age and older hunt. This number is half of what it was fifty years ago. Imagine what our world will look like when we make a conscious effort to get more kids out hunting, fishing, and enjoying outdoor recreation through mentorship. Imagine more kids disconnecting from their phones and social media and connecting with nature. Imagine our youth having knowledge of habitat, conversation, and harvesting their wild game to provide to their family and friends. imagine families retreating to the outdoors because they have the confidence and desire to do so. That is the world that we are striving to create!
CEO Brittany French said, “We are excited that Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Funds see the value in our mission! Our program is rapidly growing as we are planning to expand to at least two more states in 2024, adding to Iowa, Kansas, and Wisconsin. We planned, organized, and coordinated over 600 hunting and fishing events in 2023 and expect that to grow well beyond 900 events in 2024. We firmly believe that it is our responsibility to provide new and continued outdoor opportunities so our youth can learn more about the outdoors and our volunteer mentors can share their wisdom with the next generation.”
Our program aims to serve youth who are interested in hunting and fishing but face barriers that limit their ability to pursue that interest. We serve a wide swath of youth who come from organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Youth Horizons, High School and College Shooting Sports Teams, youth who just completed Hunter Education, and youth who are interested in the outdoors.
“Our ability to expand beyond Iowa, Kansas, and Wisconsin relies on support from the outdoor industry,” stated Mike Christensen, President of Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc. “We are grateful to have an organization like the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund lending their support to our efforts.”
The youth in our community need the outdoors today more than ever before. Our vision empowers youth to be part of the outdoors, learn about conservation, locally source their own food, develop friendships, and advocate for what they are passionate about.
About the Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s Outdoor Fund
Under the visionary leadership of founder Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's is leading North America's largest conservation movement. Together with our partners in conservation, we're positively shaping the future of the outdoors through donations, grant-making and advocacy. The 501c3 Outdoor Fund raises funds to support conservation efforts by activating more than 200 million passionate sportsmen and women rounding up their purchases in Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's stores and online.
About Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors
Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors’ mission is to provide outdoor experiences and ongoing opportunities to children and mentors in order to develop future generations of hunters and anglers, thereby positively impacting the conservation of natural resources and the lives of children. For more information about Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, please visit http://www.outdoormentors.org.