Kulshan Brewing has made raising funds for local nonprofits as easy as sitting down and buying a beer.
Their Pour it Forward program, which has already helped raise funds for rebuilding Ragfinery, will partner with Wild Whatcom on Tuesday, May 13.
All day on Tuesday, 10% of revenue made from house beverages and offerings at the Sunnyland location will go toward Wild Whatcom, a nonprofit dedicated to enriching the lives of the people of Whatcom County by connecting them with the natural world, according to their website.
Wild Whatcom hosts events and specific programs for children, adults, BIPOC, women, people with mobility limitations and LGBTQ+ people in an effort to make outdoor recreation an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone to enjoy.
“The outdoors can be intimidating for a lot of people, especially if you don’t feel like you’re part of a community yet,” said Ella Erickson, a Western Washington University Outdoor Center student employee. “It can be intimidating to break that barrier but once you do, it can be a super positive experience.”
Wonder Walks are free events that aim to engage community members who need a more accessible approach to recreating in nature by using low-barrier trails.
The Wild Things program helps children explore nature safely with their caregivers going along for the ride, and the Ladies Night Out event helps women and LGBTQ+ people enjoy nature at night in a safe environment.
“Ladies Night Out is my favorite event because it can be scary to go into nature alone or late in the evening, and with Ladies Night Out, we create a safe group to explore these places at times of the day that would otherwise feel intimidating and unsafe,” Randi Acton said of her experiences with Wild Whatcom.
Along with events like these, Wild Whatcom also has a scholarship program and often loans gear out so that people can continue to participate despite financial limitations.
Ann Damani said when she didn’t have a backpack for her child to use during one of their programs, Wild Whatcom responded by saying it was no problem. They gave her a backpack, free of charge.
“Gear can be such an expensive barrier, and that’s been removed,” Damani said.
Wild Whatcom has been operating as a nonprofit since 2011. However, it started in 2004, with one mom leading her children and their friends along the beaches and trails throughout Whatcom County, according to Wild Whatcom’s website.
“Taking care of our health, our community’s health and the health of local nature is critical not only to our wellbeing, but to that of future generations,” said Amye Bronson-Doherty, Wild Whatcom’s development and communications manager. “One of the most meaningful ways to empower people to be good stewards is to bring them together to experience the power of our symbiotic relationship with nature.”
Robyn Preston, Kulshan Brewing’s event manager, said choosing Wild Whatcom as the organization to support for this month’s Pour it Forward was a no-brainer.
“Wild Whatcom is awesome,” Preston said. “Accessible nature recreational services are really important. They’re such a cool organization and an easy one to support.”
Although Pour it Forward is new this year, Preston is optimistic about its future.
“I’m excited to see how the program progresses and how we can share the wealth with different groups,” Preston said.
Along with the 10% of sales going toward Wild Whatcom, representatives from the nonprofit will be at Kulshan Brewing from 5 to 9 p.m. hosting nature-themed trivia.
The funds generated from the event at Kulshan Brewing will help to maintain the programs, scholarships and gear donations that make Wild Whatcom.
“Like most nonprofit organizations right now, we are facing the next few years knowing that government funding for our work will be greatly reduced or simply unavailable,” Bronson-Doherty said. “We will be looking to our local community to help us move through these challenges, just as Wild Whatcom will continue to provide nature programs that offer nature and human connections, safe, inclusive, and healing spaces and lots of joy.”
Those who want to “pour it forward” for Wild Whatcom can stop by Kulshan Brewing’s James Street location all day on May 13, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Brenna Witchey (she/her) is a city life reporter for The Front this quarter. She is a third-year news/editorial pre-major and English minor. When she’s not working on a story, she likes practicing yoga, reading and going to the gym. You can reach her at brennawitchey.thefront@gmail.com.
