Still Growing Strong: Our Stance on Giving Back
Since the dawn of time, humans have stood out from the rest of the animal kingdom for two reasons - our deep compassion, and our relative intelligence. These qualities are imbued in us from the time we draw our first breath, but are unlike the fangs, claws and hooves that adorn the appendages of other species. While the great bobcat may look to a rabbit for sustenance for itself, a human eye sees a way to feed and clothe more than just an individual. Our strong hands built the first fishing rods around 4000 years ago to provide more than enough sustenance for one holding the rod. Throughout our history, it’s become apparent that our greatest gifts were not given to us so that we could become the strongest and most feared, nor the fastest or most agile. We are different because our gifts are not designed for us. No, our gifts have a nobler purpose, one that supersedes all others, though we must sometimes be reminded.
These gifts were given to us so that we could give them to each other.
Our community, now stronger than ever, continues to grow in this way because we value each other as people. We peer into our crystal balls at the future so that while we may lead good lives, our children may lead great lives. We believe in organizations like Big Sky Youth Empowerment because they are the ones who share their gifts - and sow the seeds of community pride and togetherness for generations to come. BYEP is a local nonprofit that provides opportunities for vulnerable teenagers to experience success, with the goal of becoming contributing members of the community through group mentoring and experiential outdoor adventures. Their mentorship program helps teens empower themselves, gain confidence through a growth based mindset, and ultimately become the best version of themselves. The impact on the lives of youth is felt not just during the time the teens are in the program, but for years to come as BYEP's participants navigate adulthood. SAV is proud and happy to support organizations like BYEP that serve those most in need, and make our community stronger by doing so. Cory Reistad would know - he would have loved an organization like BYEP when he was younger, and knows exactly the type of impact they’re looking to make. He and Pete McFadden (Founder, BYEP) go way back, and Cory was even on the board for 3 years. According to Cory, kids who are in the type of situation that may take agency from them really benefit from a “Non-therapeutic environment to feel seen, safe, heard - these are critical to development, especially at this age.” His insight, driven by personal experience, led his employee Brogan to circle back with BYEP.
Brogan Conner, a former mentor at BYEP and the current Digital Marketing Specialist at SAV, had the opportunity to circle back and sit down with several members of BYEP’s team including Danica Jamison (Executive Director), Crystal Kramer (Business Development & Events Manager) and Marie-Luise Klotz MFA (Marketing Director). While catching up and receiving a tour of the space, which had expanded a great deal since Brogan’s time there as a mentor, it became apparent that BYEP’s capacity to serve had increased dramatically in a short time. They can now serve up to 192 participants, and have increased the number of vehicles in their fleet from 7 (when Brogan was there) to 12 in just a few years. There was no interruption to services during the pandemic, and the new(ish) centrally located kitchen and circular floor plan show that community and togetherness are the focus of the space. The whole building is designed to facilitate self-actualization - from the individual rooms (open and well-lit, with movable chairs and whiteboards available to all) to the gear room full of donated skiing and snowboarding equipment, to the gender-neutral bathrooms and readily accessible staff offices, there is no shortage of thoughtfulness in this space. In addition, BYEP is soon launching a mountain biking pilot program and is looking for corporate sponsors, so if you’re interested, don’t overlook this opportunity to help create a brighter future at the local level.
With organizations like these ensuring that our community resources are available to those who need them the most, we feel confident that the future is in good hands. We enjoy a high level of engagement with BYEP and other community mainstays, and we will continue to grow our engagement and dedication to organizations like these as our company grows - as we grow, so does our commitment to helping build a better future. SAV honors Guts, Grit and Growth as the central tenets of our organizational culture, and we stand with organizations like BYEP that reflect these.
Our technologies and communities, born of our relentless compassion and cleverness, were conjured from the raw resources available to our ancestors. With these at hand, we were able to forge a path wide enough for us all to move along together. From the first sticks that were rubbed together to make fire, to the plow that dug the first furrow in the fields of the Gallatin Valley, to the community resources available to those who now need them now, we as a species were designed to care for each other in order to prosper. For what greater feeling is there than to see the one who has struggled, now standing tall and proud, shoulder to shoulder with the one who helped them stand? What greater joy is there than to see those disparate and downtrodden, rise to the greatest heights on the shoulders of their fellow human? What greater feeling than to hear our flag snapping and waving in the wind, and to know that this country is strong not because of any one person, but because of how we stand together? For us, there is simply nothing finer.
Learn more about BYEP here.
