National Geographic Maps, in collaboration with National Geographic Adventure magazine, have announced the winners of the first annual The Outdoor Geographic Awareness (TOGA) Awards. The awards honor outdoor retailers, manufacturers, nonprofit organizations and individuals who are finding new and creative ways to promote geographic awareness and build outdoor participation. TOGA Awards reflect National Geographic’s mission to inspire people to care about the planet and to encourage people of all ages to explore their world.
Winners include:
Outdoor Retailer Category: Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI)
Outdoor Manufacturer Category: Patagonia
Nonprofit Category: The Conservation Alliance
Individuals Category: Sam Drevo (eNRG Kayaking)
TOGA Awards are evaluated and awarded based upon the applicant’s overall contribution to increasing geographic awareness during the previous calendar year. Evaluating factors include the overall reach, effectiveness and creativity of a program, product or service; the benefit to the outdoor industry; and how easily replicated a program may be so that others can build upon it to increase its influence.
TOGA Awards were presented on Friday, Aug. 8, 2008, at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City. The hand-crafted awards were designed by Pittsburgh-based artist Jeffrey D. Kuntz.
