The North Face and REI Support NOLS Endeavor to Summit Denali

The North Face and REI have announced their support for the National Outdoor Leadership School's "Expedition Denali." The North Face will sponsor the technical gear for the expedition, while REI will be the retail sponsor.

The goal of Expedition Denali is to use the expedition, the grassroots events that will be a part of the expedition, and an outreach initiative that will follow over the next two years, to provide a platform that will inspire youth of color, in particular African American youth, to reach out actively and connect with nature.

Laura Swapp, REI's director of Diversity and Inclusion, said: "The dedication shown by the NOLS' Expedition Denali team will serve as a motivation to others to lead active lifestyles and to find their own version of Denali. Their journey perfectly aligns with our commitment to inspire others and to be inspired by them."

This will be the very first predominantly African American team that will attempt to summit North America's tallest mountain, Denali. That is what makes Expedition Denali a special and historical undertaking. The expedition will take place in June 2013, the hundredth anniversary of the first ascent of the peak.

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Vikas is a staff writer for the Sustainable Development news and editorial section on Justmeans. He is an MBA with 20 years of managerial and entrepreneurial experience and global travel. He is the author of "The Power of Money" (Scholars, 2003), a book that presents a revolutionary monetary economic theory on poverty alleviation in the developing world. Vikas is also the official writer for an international social project for developing nations "Decisions for Life" run in collaboration between the ILO, the University of Amsterdam and the Indian Institute of Management.