July 2, 2009

Rock/Creek Challenges Customers with $5,000 Matching Grant to Save Stringer's Ridge

Chattanooga, TN- Thursday July 2, 2009- Rock/Creek today announces another $1,000 gift to help save Stringer's Ridge. This donation serves as the kickoff to The Rock/Creek Challenge. In the Challenge, customers and friends of Rock/Creek are encouraged to donate to Trust for Public Land (TPL) in order to match Rock/Creek's $5000 commitment to Help Save Stringer's Ridge. This land includes the four hill tops visible from the downtown riverfront toward North Chattanooga. TPL is a national nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, historic sites and natural places, ensuring quality communities for generations to come. To date, Rock/Creek has donated $2,000 to the Stringer's project. The first gift came from Rock/Creek environmental grant program with Patagonia, a manufacturer of outdoor clothing and gear with a long history of environmental stewardship. This most recent gift came from the money raised at the recent Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race.

The proposed acquisition to preserve the ridge began in 2007, after developers threatened to convert the undeveloped land into mass-residential area. Chattanooga residents opposed the land developer's plot and The Trust for Public Land voted in partnership with the City of Chattanooga to protect the scenic and historic landscape in September 2008. Continuing with today's public campaign, TPL's dream to preserve Stringer's Ridge as an undeveloped area continues to gain ground through support from community groups, individual donations, and corporate donations such as this.

Rick Wood, Chattanooga, Field Office Director for TPL, emphasizes the importance of the Chattanooga community in this effort: "We could not do this kind of work without people stepping up and saying this is really important. This is truly a grassroots-oriented campaign dependent on the diversity of donations. We are so close and it has been amazing to see the outreach and interest."

More than $2 million has been raised of the $2.5 million required to purchase the full 92 acres of property. In January 2009, the trust obtained a 37-acre portion of the ridge along with the landowner's agreement to establish a conservation easement to relinquish rights to future development on the remaining 55 acres. "We have plans to hire ecologists, landscape architects, and historians to truly understand and evaluate the treasure we are acquiring." says Wood. "A public planning meeting will be held for residents and volunteers interested in establishing public parks and building trails."

For over 20 years, Rock/Creek has been committed to taking people into the great outdoors. As a company founded by outdoor instructors, Rock/Creek's environmental mission always includes public outreach and an effort to open new lands to human-powered recreation. "Stringer's Ridge is truly a 'Land for People Project' as this land will be accessible to the public. I personally think this relationship between Rock/Creek and Trust for Public Land is a natural" says Rick Wood.

Mark McKnight, Rock/Creek's Marketing Director, emphasizes the the importance of this project: "Stringer's is in the background of our lives as Chattanoogans, and without the recent threat of development, most people never would have imagined that it needed saving. For those of us who value the recreational opportunities available on the property, or just love the view, we now have a unique opportunity to conserve this land for future generations to enjoy. We all will gain convenient access to a beautiful wild place free from development."

The donation process is simple. Trust for Public Land and Rock/Creek offer several safe avenues for you to participate in the matching challenge. Stop into one of Rock/Creek's store locations to drop off a donation with a manager or send gifts directly to TPL at:

The Trust for Public Land
202 Tremont Street
Chattanooga, TN 37405

You may also donate through Rock/Creek's Web site at http://www.rockcreek.com/stringers/ or TPL's website at www.tpl.org/RockCreek
The website directs you to a secure online payment page, or a PDF you may print out and send back.

For more information about how to support TPL's work on Stringer's Ridge, contact Carla Askonas at 265-5229, ext. 4 or go to www.tpl.org/StringersRidge

About Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer based in Chattanooga, TN. Rock/Creek was named 2009 Online Retailer of the Year by Backpacker Magazine and SNEWS and was listed as a Top 25 Retailer by Outdoor Business for 2008 and 2009. Along with its online shops, RockCreek.com and ClimbingGear.com, Rock/Creek provides quality outdoor clothing and gear for a host of activities including kayaking, rock climbing, camping, hiking, trail running, and adventure racing. Rock/Creek is committed to making a positive impact on the environment. For this reason, it uses outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship and to improve public access to the backcountry. Rock/Creek supports worthy nonprofits such as the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition and the Wilderness Trail Running Association. For related articles on Rock/Creek, visit www.rockcreek.com/media

Announcements , Chattanooga Local News , Patagonia , Rock/Creek Trail Series | By Rachel Tucker | 10:44 AM | Comments (0)

July 1, 2009

Reminder: Save 20% on Chacos when you donate shoes ENDS SOON!

Quick reminder: The Chaco recycle program ends next week, on July 5th. Between now and then, purchase any new pair of Chacos, use the coupon code RECYCLE9 and you'll get 20% off, then when your new shoes come in, send us a pair of gently-used shoes that we will donate to those less fortunate.

Rock/Creek is proud to once again support the Chaco Shoe Donation Program, starting this Friday and running through the Fourth of July weekend. This year's Rock/Creek and Chaco partnership will benefit the internationally-recognized non profit organization Soles4Souls based in Nashville, TN. Customers are encouraged to donate gently-used pairs of shoes for this organization to then redistribute to those in need. All brands of men's, women's and children's footwear will be accepted for donation. In it's fifth successful year running, Chaco will offer customers a 20% discount on a new pair of Chaco sandals, the day of donation, for any one pair of lightly used (but re-usable) pair of shoes, boots, or sandals given. Of course, no purchase is required and Rock/Creek invites customers to donate as many pairs of shoes as they would like.

Soles4Souls is an organization derived from one man's vision to offer aid through footwear to those in need. After the tsunami hit Southeast Asia in 2004, CEO and founder Wayne Elsey felt the urge to help. Nearly 250,000 shoes were collected for the tsunami victims, and shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated our gulf shores, more than 750,000 shoes were collected from the footwear industry. Expanding to international recognition in 2006, Soles4Souls has donated more than 3 Million pairs of shoes to the United States, Central and South America, Europe and Asia.

"In 2008, with the support of loyal Rock/Creek and Chaco customers, over 1,000 pairs of shoes were donated. This year, the shoe donation opportunity will last two weeks and will be available to the public through multiple Rock/Creek venues" says Chaco Representative, Chad Wykle. Stop by Rock/Creek's Hamilton Place and Two North Shore locations starting Friday June 19, 2009 through Sunday July 5, 2009, with used shoes in hand, to receive your 20% discount. The same discount is available for purchasers online at http://www.rockcreek.com/chaco/recycle/ Online, customers are invited to use coupon code RECYCLE9 for their discount, and then they will be responsible for shipping their donation back in the box they receive from Rock/Creek. At the end of the summer, all the shoes collected will be sent to Soles4Souls and then distributed to those in need throughout the world.

Retailers such as Rock/Creek, and community groups, churches, and schools are all avenues for this donation opportunity. "Rock/Creek is always seeking ways to help people and our planet. The 'Chaco Recycle Program' follows our mission to leave a practical legacy of commitment to our community, by recycling older, reusable shoes and preventing them from being trashed in landfills" explains Rock/Creek Marketing Director Mark McKnight. "Who doesn't have a pair of shoes sitting around that just don't work for your foot or don't quite fit perfectly? Now we're giving you the opportunity to clear out your closet and help others at the same time. Our past Chaco shoe donation programs have supported the elimination of Hookworm anemia in Sub-Saharan African villages, and outfitting an entire village in Uganda with their first shoes."

For full information about the 2009 Chaco Recycle Program, visit: http://www.rockcreek.com/chaco/recycle

Learn more about Soles4Souls by clicking the video below, or visit their website at http://www.soles4souls.org/index.html

Announcements , Chaco Sandals , Chattanooga Local News , Sales & Promotions | By Mark McKnight | 9:39 AM | Comments (0)

June 29, 2009

Words from the Master of a Stage Race

Coach Lee Simril, the Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race Men's Masters winner, shares his impressions of the 2009 Stage Race. He is a guest writer for the Rock/Creek Chronicle, and with that said, here are some words from his three day trail experience:

"First of all, a BIG congratulations to all the finishers this weekend - what a huge accomplishment.

Secondly...Wow, what a cool race! This was my first running stage race and I was not sure how I felt about stacking multiple days of hard and long running races together. I tend to take a couple of easy days in between hard running efforts, but I just could not resist doing this race in my own backyard.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised how my body handled the back to back days. Maybe it is the fact that the race is held on trails and not road, so it minimizes the pounding. I felt a little stiff and tired warming up each day, but once the gun fired it felt like any other trail race.

Competing for your overall raking in a stage race is very interesting. Each day you race for a finish on the day's race, while at the same time you are building an overall ranking for the combination of the three days. The concept is simple: each day you try to make up time on the people ranked in front of you. The trick is being able to do that without burning yourself out and getting caught by the people behind you.

Most people in the race had their own little battles going on with the people around them, and it made for very interesting racing. After the days' stages we all congratulated each other and had a few laughs about the events of the day.

The race organizers set up ice baths to use after each stage to aid in recovery. The ice baths were very popular and well used. Natalie Sims had one of my favorite quotes of the weekend when she advised a runner who was unsure about getting in the bucket right after he finished that "maybe you should wait on taking an ice bath...so that I can do mine now"...Now that is diplomacy!

Tempted to add this event to your calendar for next year? You do not have to be a superman or woman to finish a running stage race, you just need to build your running mileage for a few months beforehand and be willing to push yourself. The course is challenging and the weather can be hot, but it would not be a truly epic adventure if it was easy."

About the author:

Lee Simril, USAT Certified Coach, USA Swimming Coach

Since competing in his first triathlon in 1985, Lee has had a passion for the sport. Lee was the captain of his soccer team at Brevard College and went on to run track at High Point College in N.C. He was a captain and MVP at the conference and district meets.

After college, he competed nationally as a Triathlete. Lee thought he would eventually get a "real" job and leave sports behind, until he met his wife Brenda. Brenda was equally passionate about endurance sports, and within a few years, they had formed a four person Adventure Racing team that won the United States Adventure Racing Association's (USARA) National Championship.

Lee has coached Soccer, Masters Swimming, Youth Swimming, and Track and field for over twenty years. For the last thirteen years he worked for the American Bicycle Group (ABG), which manufactures Litespeed, Merlin and QR bicycles. During this time he worked with top athletes from around the world in the sales and design of wetsuits and bicycles.

Check out the Simril Multisport Coaching website to find out how you can "Reach Your Full Potential" through SMC for quality consultation and training www.simrilmultisportcoaching.com/default.html.

The next races in the Rock/Creek Trail Series have opened registration. Check out these upcoming races:

Rock/Creek Greenway
5 Mile Trail Race
August 8, 2009
Greenway Farms Chattanooga, TN
http://www.rockcreek.com/greenway

Rock/Creek Stump Jump 50K
50K & 11 Mile Trail Running Race
October 3, 2009
Chattanooga, TN
http://www.rockcreek.com/stumpjump/

Chattanooga Local News , Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race , Coach Lee Simril's Updates , Events & Races , Trail Running , Ultrarunning, Ultramarathons | By Rachel Tucker | 12:43 PM | Comments (0)

June 25, 2009

Legendary Wilderness Crusader Doug Scott to speak at Rock/Creek on June 26th

REMINDER: This event takes place TOMORROW, THIS FRIDAY. Please come out! It's going to be a great opportunity to learn about saving our wilderness areas and to hear some of the history behind our American wilderness. Oakley has stepped up to provide some catering, so we'll have some food available. Please RSVP so we know how many are coming, but don't let that keep you away if you haven't been able to RSVP.

It takes an act of Congress to designate specific areas of land as forever protected "Wilderness" lands. Our natural, untouched resources are seemingly the most neglected areas by mankind. However, once land is selected, maintenance and preservation is reinforced, prolonging the existence of precious acres all across the nation.

In this current economic time of budget cuts and expenses causing a decrease in advocacy, what will the future be for our unprotected lands? Who will speak for them?

Come join Rock/Creek at the Two North Shore location on Friday, June 26th at 6pm to hear the answers to all these questions and more, as we welcome Doug Scott, a nationally recognized author and Policy Director for the Campaign for America's Wilderness. Rock/Creek has the privilege to host an evening of discussion and a book signing with this transformational public figure, as he talks attendees through his history with Wilderness campaigning, community support, and instruction on how to help pass along a gift to future generations.

Doug formerly managed a local environmental group in the San Juan Islands of Washington State, worked at The Wilderness Society, and for 17 years for the Sierra Club, including as conservation director and associate executive director. Doug was involved in enactment of the Eastern Wilderness Areas Act (1975), The Endangered American Wilderness Act (1978), the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (Idaho, 1980), The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (1980), and the California Desert Protection Act (California, 1994), among others. Doug's status as a wilderness crusader takes him all around the United States for workshops, panel discussions, book signings, and radio talk show appearances such as the Dian Rehme Show, this past March.

Mark your calendars, and don't miss out on this eye-opening experience, free to the public however, RSVP is required below.
You may also RSVP by calling Rock/Creek at 423.266.8200 ext: 1112. Leave a message with your Name, Number, and Number of expected attendees

Announcements , Chattanooga Local News , Events & Races , Trail Work, Access & Environment | By Rachel Tucker | 4:15 PM | Comments (0)

June 24, 2009

Rock/Creek Launches Chattanooga's Summer "Passport to the Outdoors"

Launch out on your Summer adventure, with help from Rock/Creek and Mountain Hardwear, who proudly present your official "Passport to the Outdoors."

Don't wait till the end of summer to start! You have until September 1, 2009 for the chock-full of fun passport to be your guide through adventures with friends and families. Every one is encouraged to complete activities to earn entries into a GRAND PRIZE SWEEPSTAKES.

Here is what you do to get started:
Stop by Rock/Creek's Downtown Two North Shore store or Hamilton Place store during store hours, and pick up the bursting with adventure passport. Each time you complete one of the 5 activities, come back to Rock/Creek, with your passport in hand to receive the approval stamp, and commence to the next activity. But the rewards don't stop there. Mountain Hardwear wants to acknowledge participant's efforts, by pairing a product offer or free item with every completed activity.

Participants have the opportunity to enter five times for the grand prize of a $1000 gift certificate for a retreat at the Snowbird Mountain Lodge in Joyce Kilmer Forest. The certificate may be used for a couple or the entire family. Various lodging options are available and this resort serves as a base for various outdoor activities from trail running to hiking and kayaking. For more details about Snowbird Mountain Lodge visit www.snowbirdlodge.com

In total, you have 5 great activities to accomplish, 5 amazing gear rewards from Mountain Hardwear, 5 possible entries into the Grand Prize Sweepstakes, and 5 potential amazing memories.

"We are excited about the passport launch for Rock/Creek, as it encourages families and individuals to get outside, to try a new activity and bring along a friend and most importantly, to have fun!" says Retail Marketing Manager for Mountain Hardwear, Jill Nickels.

Rock/Creek supports creative ways to help get people outside and explore our big wonderful planet. Our employees are anticipating a positive outcome and we look forward to hearing all the success stories. While it's not required, we would love to see photos and hear your stories of how you get outside this summer. The best submissions will be selected for publication on our blog, located at blog.rockcreek.com. Please email these to Rachel Tucker at rachel@rockcreek.com or drop them by the store.

Announcements , Chattanooga Local News , Mountain Hardwear , Sales & Promotions | By Rachel Tucker | 9:58 AM | Comments (0)

Oakley Rolling O Lab Appearing at Rock/Creek

The pulse is irresistible, the sight will attract your eyes like a magnet, the lure will draw you in from across the street... no, I am not talking about a man dressed in Elvis Disco.

If you drive by Rock/Creek Two North Shore location this Friday, June 26, you will be mesmerized by a 40-foot motor coach, decaled from bumper to bumper. Do not be alarmed, they are our friends Oakley.

The famed Rolling- O- Lab will be making an appearance in Chattanooga, TN at Rock/Creek Two North Shore parking lot on Friday June 26th, from 12-6pm. This curbside venue will display Oakley's latest High Definition Optics technology, and demonstrate their sun and sport glass protection.
Oakley Area Representative, Jason Aronson, will be present along with highly knowledgeable Rock/Creek staff.

Stop on by to check out this mobile "science lab" and discover for yourself, why roughly 80% of all Beijing Olympic Athlete's chose Oakley for their eye protection.

Stick around the area for Oakley's continued support of Rock/Creek's Doug Scott Wilderness Talk starting at 6pm. Refreshments will be provided during the book signing.

Announcements , Chattanooga Local News , Sales & Promotions | By Rachel Tucker | 9:56 AM | Comments (0)