Be Different this Year

Let’s face it, everyone is looking for unique Christmas gifts. The gift that goes down in history or is the talk of the family gathering. Something more than a tin of caramel popcorn or Target gift card. Something your loved ones will actually use and remember.

Why not give them a Venture Outdoors Membership, a VO Membership will keep giving all year, through winter snowshoeing, spring hiking, summer paddling and fall biking. Just think – at this time next year, your gift will still be giving!
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How to Survive Anything: VO Edition

Do you know how to survive in the woods with nothing? Well, hopefully you are never faced with this situation, but in case you do find yourself in it, there are some practical skills that will help you out.

These skills were the topic of our recent Wilderness Awareness and Survival Class and were also the feature of Sunday’s Post Gazette article by John Hayes entitled Practice practical survival techniques.

The article and class discussed emergency shelter building, fire starting, finding water, signaling and self-awareness of one’s place in nature, but more importantly included techniques which prevent you from ever getting into dangerous situations in the first place.

Read the full article here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09326/1015103-140.stm

Warren Miller: A Little Clarification

So you’re thinking about going to Warren Miller on Friday, November 27… but you don’t have tickets yet and you’re not really sure this Dynasty film is going to be that sweet…

Let’s clarify a few things:

• The makers of Warren Miller have been waiting 60 YEARS to make this film!
  It’s their 60th anniversary, so of course they chocked it full of action and adventure as well as vintage footage of the old timers doing their thing. Still not convinced? Watch the three minute preview and see for yourself (click the play button to the right).

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Board Member Bio: Mark Sullivan

Mark Sullivan is originally from Erie, Pennsylvania—and as he explains it, he moved to Pittsburgh for a change in scenery. With a hometown whose proponents call it “scenic,” this might seem odd if you didn’t already know the beauty running rampant here in Allegheny County.

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Entertaining while Educating

Everyone loves simply spending time outside, but in a world of multi-tasking and time management, it’s important to offer people a bang for their buck. This is just what Venture Outdoors and other area organizations are striving to do according to Karen Price in today’s Tribune Review article. Why not learn about history or architecture while hiking or paddling?

Read the full article here:www.pittsburghlive.com.

And of course she is right! We’ve got several educational adventures planned in the next couple of weeks.

Find the next one on our Activities Calendar. Sign up for the Geology of the Montour Trail Bike Ride by clicking here. Enter GEOLOGY09 at Checkout for 30% Off.

Come celebrate and defend the Yough

Everyone is invited to the Youghiogheny Defense Party on Thursday, November 19 at Falls City Pub in Ohiopyle! This event benefits the Yough Defense Fund of the Youghiogheny RIVERKEEPER. Numerous businesses and citizens are sponsoring this event so 100% of the proceeds can go to help cover legal expenses incurred in defending the Yough from the proposed Curry Mine.

The Curry Mine is a proposed 480 acre strip mine along the banks of the Youghiogheny River, just below the southern border of Ohiopyle State Park and adjacent to the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail.
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World Class Athletes in Action!

Warren Miller’s Dynasty will soar through Pittsburgh in less then three short weeks! Friday, November 27 is your chance to see world class athletes conquer the biggest and baddest mountains in the world. As a special sneak preview check out some action stills from the film below.

See more athletes in action on the Venture Outdoors Facebook events page.

Get your tickets early and save! Click here to order

Twenty-three minutes and three new liftetime members

It took just twenty-three minutes for Pittsburgher’s to donate over $1 million to area nonprofits on the Pittsburgh Foundation’s first ever Match Day. Venture Outdoors had 16 people make donations through the PittsburghGives website, and an additional 23 people donated on our website after the matching funds had been exhausted.

The matching funds are still being confirmed but we are estimating that over $16,900 was raised for Venture Outdoors on that day, making October 28th the single biggest day of individual giving in Venture Outdoors history. Thank you to everyone who donated! Read more

Board Member Bio: Kathy Risko

Let’s see. You’ve enjoyed Venture Outdoors trips. You support our Family & Community Programs Initiative. You’re familiar with our festivals and Members Days. You’ve kayaked on one of Pittsburgh’s three rivers. By this point, perhaps you consider yourself a VO expert.

But what about the Board of Directors?
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Help name our new publication!

In an effort to better serve our members and bring you a more flexible program schedule, we have decided to combine our program schedule and members newsletter into one smaller publication. We will be giving you more up-to-date information about Venture Outdoors every two months. But we need your help to name it!

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