Venture Outdoors has long identified the lack of minority participation in the outdoors as a problem, not just in Western Pennsylvania, but nationwide.

Now, with help from a $30,000 grant from L.L. Bean, the nonprofit group believes it may have found a solution with its Family and Community Programs Initiative.

“No one has successfully connected minority communities with the outdoors. No one’s figured that out,” said Sean Brady, assistant executive director of Venture Outdoors. “If this thing works out, it could have applications all over the United States.”

Venture Outdoors is a nonprofit formed in 2001 to help get Western Pennsylvanians involved in the many outdoor recreation opportunities that exist in the region.

Last summer, the group implemented a diversity outdoors pilot program, taking climbing walls, bikes and GPS units to urban community festivals in neighborhoods such as the Hill District, East Liberty and the North Side. The goal, Brady said, was to provide a sampling of activities to an underserved population that is often hindered from accessing the outdoors either by economic restraints or a simple lack of exposure.

“It gave folks a little taste and gave them an opportunity to try outdoor recreation,” Brady said.

That project was so successful that they began planning on expanding next summer to offer dedicated, family-oriented monthly festivals in urban parks, on bus lines and at other accessible locations. They also plan to give out free Venture Outdoors activity passes and memberships.

“The real focus is going to be getting families to come out and try these activities, see how much fun they are and see why all these crazy white people do these things,” Brady said. “The real goal is to develop active, outdoor lifestyles.”

L.L. Bean, which is opening its only store west of the Allegheny Mountains at Ross Park Mall on Nov. 21, heard of Venture Outdoors while laying the groundwork for the new location, Brady said. The outdoors retailer learned of the initiative and offered Venture Outdoors the grant. Venture Outdoors is ultimately hoping to raise $200,000 for the three-year initiative.

“(L.L. Bean) has given us start-up funding for the program,” Brady said. “The neat thing about it is L.L. Bean has always had a focus on families and community, so it’s a natural fit for us to work together.”

The new L.L. Bean store will be open 24 hours a day during the grand-opening weekend, with refreshments, live music and giveaways for late shoppers beginning at 11 p.m.

Slopes hope for Thanksgiving

Despite temperatures climbing back up late this week, Hidden Valley and Seven Springs are still hoping for drops low enough to start making snow and open for Thanksgiving weekend. Hidden Valley did get to test its new snowmaking machines Monday night, thanks to a few hours of good snowmaking conditions. If the resort is able to open for Thanksgiving, it will offer free ski tickets in November. Although neither resort is boasting snow accumulation yet, the Laurel Highlands have received dustings in recent weeks.

Karen Price can be reached at kprice@tribweb.com or 412-320-7980.

“The 7 p.m. program titled “In Celebration of Wild Places: Connecting People to Nature,” is co-sponsored by Venture Outdoors, the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Pitt’s Center for Minority Health, Three Rivers Birding Club, Recreational Equipment Inc. and the National Aviary.”

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