Adidas Outdoor has announced a new partnership with charity 1Climb.  Adidas will donate $1 Million to help underprivileged children in the US to climb for the first time. The partnership will help to build ten new climbing walls in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, with the aim of impacting the next generation of climbers. Further to this, 1Climb aims to build and maintain a close relationship with the newly constructed climbing wall, with the intention of maintaining the wall, and mentoring the children as their climbing begins to progress.

The 1Climb foundation was co-founded in 2016 by free-climber Kevin Jorgenson with the mission of introducing 1 Million children into climbing. They aim to install climbing walls in Boys and Girls Clubs around the US, as well as providing trips to local climbing gyms for the children. Boys and Girls Clubs are an organisation that aims to provide all young people, especially those most in need, with the opportunity to reach their full potential. Adidas’ $1 Million will help to build four new climbing walls by the end of 2019, with the remaining six to open by the end of 2020.

“What makes climbing special is so much more than a climbing wall”

The 1Climb organisation aims to create a sense of community surrounding the children.  Tim Baum, 1Climb’s Executive Director explains, “What makes climbing special is so much more than a climbing wall. It’s the people behind the sport. The community. That’s why our climbing gym partners are such an important part of our programs.” The program seeks to break down social barriers by building climbing walls, creating an equal starting line for tens and thousands of children across the country.