Eastern Mountain Sports raised more than $16,000 for The Conservation Alliance during the retailer’s Upgrade Your Gear sale. The company pledged to share 1 percent of sales equally between the Alliance and The Access Fund. Each of the 67 Eastern Mountain Sports stores participated in the promotion, raising a total of $32,387, half of which will go to the Alliance’s effort to preserve North America’s wildlands and rivers for their habitat and recreational values.

“Eastern Mountain Sports is happy to give back to the places we play and live, and to be an active participant in the conservation of our wildlands,” said Will Manzer, president and CEO of Eastern Mountain Sports. “The Conservation Alliance has a long history of supporting effective conservation initiatives, and we’re pleased to be in a position to partner in that important work.”

An active member of The Conservation Alliance since 1997, Eastern Mountain Sports wanted to go beyond annual membership dues to demonstrate a greater commitment to conservation.

“We are grateful to Eastern Mountain Sports for taking the initiative to draw their customers into our conservation efforts,” said John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance. “The sale not only generated valuable funds for the Alliance, but gave Eastern Mountain Sports customers the opportunity to learn more about our work.”

The Conservation Alliance has contributed more than $600,000 to conservation projects in the Northeastern US, where most Eastern Mountain Sports stores are located.