Kate Svitek Memorial Foundation
Kate Svitek Memorial Foundation

"Although I didn't make it to the summit of Mt. Rainier that sunrise, near the top of the world, gave me a new perspective on life. I realized the importance of challenging one's own limits and ingenuity even if you are not able to achieve a goal. That sunrise placed into me a sense of wonder that had nothing to do with whether or not I made it to the summit. It is not always necessary to achieve an ultimate goal, because the reward of self satisfaction was enough from within. "
- Kate Svitek

Grants

The Kate Memorial was established in Spring, 2002 shortly after Kate died on Mt. Bachelor in a snowboard accident. The Foundation's mission is to provide financial support to individuals, groups, and various institutions whose interests and goals align with Kate's hopes and dreams. The primary focus is to promote and underwrite a range of activities and education principally related to outdoor and wilderness exploration study, observation, preservation, improvement, expansion, and enhancement.

Past Recipients

Since our inception, we have awarded grants to over 91 different organizations, including:

100 Elk Outdoor Center
Achieve Tahoe
Adventure Works
Baltimore Yearly Mtg - Philly Stride
Boys and Girls Club of Phila.
Boys Latin
Brewster-Pierce Memorial School
Bucks Cty Audubon Society
Camp Attaway
Camp Kesem
Camp Kesem
Camp Rainbow
Camp Thunderbird
Community Academy of Phila
Center for Aquatic Sciences
Central PA Conservancy
Chicago Voyagers
Chipping Hill
College Settlement
Des Moines Cty. Cons. Partners
Dragonfly Forest Camp
Exploration Academy
Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools
Fellowship Farm
First Descents
First Waves
Franklin School of Innovation
Gateway to the Great Outdoors (GGO)
Get Outside
Grassy Waters
Green Fest
Green Valleys
Grow Portland
Harris Center for Conservation Educ.
l-Lead Charter School
Johns Hopkins Outdoors Club
Lacawac
Laketrails Base Camp
Lee G Simmons Cons. Park & Wildlife Safari
Life Expanding Adventure Prog (LEAP)
Linn County Conservation
Living Tree Alliance
Localogy-Roots and Wings School
Los Angeles Waterkeeper
Macrieb Consultants
Monarch Academy
Neighborhood Bike Works
New England Sci. & Sailing Found. (NESS)
New Heights Academy Charter School
No Barriers
NOLS
North Carolina Outward Bound
North Cascades Institute
Northwest Outward Bound
Paddle Without Pollution
Pajarito Environmental Education Center
Paradox Sports
Parkway Northwest High School
Peak 7 Adventures
Phipps Conservatory Botanical Gardens
Prince William Sound Science Center
Project U.S.E.
ReSource
Riverbend
Riversport
Roanoke Outside Foundation
Robbins Park
Rocky Mountain Institute
Russell Byers Charter School
Saddle of Love
San Diego Coast Keepers
Sauvie Island Schuylkill Center
Second Chance Outreach
Something Good in the World
Strayer Middle School
Tahoe Rim Trail Assoc.
The Franklin School of Innovation
The Great Schools Partnership
The LIFE School of Atlanta
Trips for Kids - Denver/Lucky to Ride
Urban Blazers
Urban Green Partnership
UVM
Vamos Outdoors Project
Venture Outdoors
Volunteers at Sippican El. (VASE)
West Virginia University
Wissahickon Charter
Wrangell Inst for Science Ed (WISE)
YES - Phila. Horticultural Society
CO, NM
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NY, HI
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Letters from Participants

Over the years, we have received many thank you notes from students who have participated in programs supported by the Foundation. We are so proud of their achievements and we wanted to share a few here:

Ethan from UVM
A Poem by Ariana Velez of North Carolina Outward Bound
Genesis from North Carolina Outward Bound
Sierra Zischke
Community Academy of Philadelphia Students
Sean Donovan
Zachary Lance
Brian Martino
Ralph Rogers
Patrina Sanchez
Katie Tausendfreundt