KOA Launches First-Ever ‘Get Out There’ Event Today

BILLINGS, Mont. – Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) is partnering with the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Club to host the first annual Get Out There event on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at the Billings KOA Holiday. The event is the latest extension of KOA’s long-running Get Out There grant program that provides financial assistance to individuals, friends, and families looking to have their dream outdoor adventure.

KOA’s 2023 North American Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report found that Gen Z represents the largest segment of new campers, and those who were introduced to camping at a younger age were highly likely to want to continue camping as they aged. As such, the Get Out There event focuses on introducing Yellowstone Boys and Girls Club fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade members to valuable, practical outdoor skills as they explore the world’s first KOA campground.

“Despite living in Billings, many families still don’t have the resources to expose their children to the outdoors’ benefits. Our research shows camping is a great way to blow off steam, relax and build familial connections, especially among Gen Z and younger campers,” says Toby O’Rourke, CEO and president at Kampgrounds of America, Inc.  “We hope this event serves as an entry point for youth, and that this event acts as a springboard for future events across our community, state, and nation.”

The Get Out There event will be divided into two three-hour sessions from 9 am MT to Noon and 1 pm MT to 4 pm MT. Featured events include lessons on reading a compass and map, tent pitching, fire safety (featuring s’mores), rock painting, tie-dye, a scavenger hunt, and more. Participants will receive a KOA-branded Get Out There Adventure Bag, including useful outdoor items and a Summer Activity Passport encouraging them to explore the outdoors around Billings and in their backyards. Community partners Anker, the United States Forest Service, REI, Scheel’s, Coleman, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and Cabela’s will sponsor activities during the Get Out There event and throughout the summer to serve as stamps in their Passports.

“We are tremendously grateful for community partners like Kampgrounds of America, who not only support the Club financially but go above and beyond to provide an experience for our Club members that is filled with learning, life skills and loads of fun,” says Brian Dennis, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County.

KOA plans to host several Get Out There events across the US through the rest of the summer.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/koa-launches-first-ever-get-out-there-event-today/