Recreational Equipment, Inc. has been honored by National Geographic Adventure magazine and National Geographic Maps in the first annual The Outdoor Geographic Awareness (TOGA) Awards. 


Seattle-based REI accepted the award at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City earlier this month. Other finalists for the award among retailers were Great Outdoor Provision Company of North Carolina and Midwest Mountaineering in Minnesota.  

The TOGA Awards seek to identify and showcase outdoor retailers, manufacturers, nonprofit and government organizations, and individuals that find new and creative ways to promote geographic awareness and build outdoor participation.  The awards reflect National Geographic’s mission to inspire more people to care about the planet and encourage individuals of all ages to explore the world around them.


Award winners of other categories include:


• Outdoor Manufacturer: Patagonia
• Nonprofit: The Conservation Alliance
• Individual: Sam Drevo, founder of eNRG Kayaking


The 2008 TOGA Awards were determined based upon the applicant’s overall contribution to increasing geographic awareness during the previous calendar year.  Evaluating factors used by National Geographic include the overall reach, effectiveness and creativity of a program, product or service; the benefit to the outdoor industry; and how easily a program may be replicated so that others can build upon it to increase its influence. 


Since 1976, REI has provided nearly $27 million to nonprofit organizations promoting conservation and outdoor recreation. Last year, the co-op donated $3.5 million to 360 local and national groups working in these areas.


Examples of the company’s outreach efforts include REI Kids Passport to Adventure, a summer-long program for families to get youth active in the outdoors through recommended family-friendly hikes, bike rides and other activities. The Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids (PEAK) program teaches youth about environmental ethics. PEAK was developed in partnership with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. In 2007, nearly 14,000 children registered for Kids Passport to Adventure and the PEAK program taught more than 142,000 children outdoor ethics.

REI Outdoor School is offered in select cities across the country, providing new and current outdoor enthusiasts, individuals and families an opportunity to be introduced to new outdoor skills or relearn outdoor hobbies.  More than 9,500 individuals participated in REI Outdoor School last year.


Additionally, the company provides thousands of opportunities at the local level for classes, activities and volunteer projects for youth, adults and families. In-store events are hosted in communities by REI employees, nonprofit partners and other knowledgeable experts. Last year, the company engaged more than 33,000 volunteers in 688 service projects around the country through volunteer efforts coordinated by REI store teams.