July 7, 2022
Alpenglow Sports is excited to announce that the Winter Speaker Series Non-Profit Beneficiary application process is open for the upcoming 2022-23 season. As beneficiaries of the 17th annual Winter Speaker Series, two lucky non-profit winners will receive between $75,000-100,000 of direct financial support for two years running.
For 17 years, the Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series, presented by Tahoe Mountain Realty, has been an eagerly anticipated winter tradition for North Lake Tahoe and Truckee’s adventure community. With over 5,000 attendees annually, as well as a dynamic and global live stream component, the 17-year-old Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series has become one of the premier North American forums for adventure storytelling and community gathering. Five times per winter, a premier outdoor athlete presents an inspirational tale of adventure, creating a forum for motivation and inspiration. Past speakers of the Winter Speaker Series include Lynn Hill, Jeremy Jones, Tommy Caldwell, Emily Harrington, Cody Townsend, Alex Honnold, Adrian Ballinger and more.
Every show is free to the public and all ages are encouraged to attend. Due to the global pandemic, the Winter Speaker Series moved to a highly successful virtual platform for the 2020-21 season. With nearly 10,000 views, the shows were enjoyed in nearly every U.S. state and over 30 countries. The following season, the series evolved into an in-person/livestream hybrid model that allowed local members to enjoy the original, in-person format they’ve come to know and love, while also allowing fans (new and old) to tune in from afar via the internet. It proved to be a change for the better, and one that is here to stay for the 2022-23 and all future seasons.
Giveaway and bar proceeds, in conjunction with anonymous donations by the Donor Party, traditionally raise more than $75,000 per show for a hand-picked, local non-profit organization. Each chosen non-profit receives a two-year run of support from the Winter Speaker Series. Each show is dedicated to a different local non-profit and to date, the Winter Speaker Series has raised over $1,000,000. The result is a collective, community game-changing effort that has made a tangible difference in the fabric of the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee communities. The fundraising arm of the Winter Speaker Series is two-fold: 1) giveaway, pizza and bar sales on the night of the event and 2) The Donor Party.
The Donor Party concept arose from series organizer Brendan Madigan. In 2017, Madigan was approached by a community member who wanted to show his support of the series by anonymously donating $2,500 to each of the five non-profits that season. Since then, Madigan, and other Donor Party members, have steadily assembled over 50 anonymous community members that are now responsible for a collectively massive, community philanthropic effort. For the 2023 Winter Speaker Series, SOS Outreach, Gateway Mountain Center, and Sierra Senior Services will be three of the chosen non-profit beneficiaries continuing for their second season.
The Winter Speaker Series Non-Profit Selection Committee will accept applications for the two remaining non-profit slots for the 2022-23 season between July 6th and July 25th, 2022. From the end of July into early August, this committee will assess applications and narrow down the applicants to five non-profit organizations that, if selected, will present (via Zoom) to the committee during scheduled time slots in late August/early September. Winners will be chosen and notified by the end of September. Please email stefanie@alpenglowsports.com for the 2022-23 Winter Speaker Series non-profit application. Please note that any organization applying to become a Winter Speaker Series beneficiary must be a certified 501c3 non-profit in order to be eligible for selection.
About Alpenglow Sports: Alpenglow Sports is an original California Mountain Shop that has been providing locals and visitors with inspiration, local knowledge, and the best equipment to enjoy the outdoors for over forty years. Based in Tahoe City, Alpenglow Sports takes pride in being community-minded and socially and environmentally responsible to ensure Lake Tahoe stays one of the best places to play, live, and visit in California.
