Summits in Solidarity

Melanie here! I became involved with @summitsinsolidarity in 2020, by taking part of their Solidarity Hike Day with my friend and coworker, Claire and donating to the cause. I was out of state in 2021, but rejoined the movement with my friend Molly by my side for another hike and donation in 2022.

I joined the Summits in Solidarity team as a volunteer earlier this year after completing the Me and White Supremacy Challenge. It's been eye opening to see the work behind the scenes and also become more educated on the work needing to be done around diversity and equity, especially in outdoor spaces.

On Juneteenth, Claire and Kate hiked Mount Tom, Field and Avalon for a Solidarity Hike, as well as donated to the cause. I'll be back out there again with a solid crew, hiking over 11 miles round trip to the summit of Zealand June 24th. My team consists of Molly, Kate, Chase, Victoria, Meaghan, Jessie, Erin, Brendan, Ben and Christiana. And I'm hoping to get another hike on Mount Liberty by the end of June with my oldest friend Erin.

We choose to Summit in Solidarity because we understand that hiking is a privilege disproportionately enjoyed by white people, like ourselves, even in 2023. We need to improve outdoor access and look at underlying socioeconomic and cultural factors that create barriers to outdoor participation in order to address this inequity. Join us in spreading the word and providing donations to @blmseacoast and @latinooutdoors_boston this year!

We appreciate ANY contribution - big or small!

Starting at midnight on June 21st, 2023, I will attempt to climb Mount Wachusett at least 32 times in 24 hours to raise $3200 for Summits in Solidarity's 2023 fundraiser for racial justice and outdoor access work. My personal best and the current standard for this challenge is 31 ascents in 24 hours, so both the hiking and the fundraising goal are going to be a challenge for me.

You can help me succeed in my 32-in-24 challenge by doing one of the following:

Make a donation to this GoFundMe.

Do a Solidarity Hike (see below) on Mt. Wachusett anytime in June.

Come through on June 21st and hike Mt. Wachusett during my ‘32 in 24” challenge.

I'll be hiking up and down the Mountain House Trail throughout my entire 24-hour challenge and will be visiting my car at the trailhead to resupply and grab water after every few climbs, so be sure to say hello if we cross paths. Hike the mountain once or try for as many times as you can! No matter what you do, be sure to make your hike count by doing it as a Solidarity Hike (see below).

How to make your hike a Solidarity Hike:

Bring a cardboard+marker sign that says "Summits in Solidarity" “Wachusett Hikers in Solidarity” or a racial justice slogan/statement of your choice.

Carry that sign to the summit of Mt. Wachusett and take a photo/video with the sign at the summit.

Post the photo/video on your social media and invite your followers to make a donation to the fundraiser.

Visit the SiS website - summitsinsolidarity.org - for more details on how to #summitinsolidarity, maximize your impact, and see other Summits in Solidarity hikes that are happening in New England. The more people that participate, the bigger the impact our team will have on Summits in Solidarity's fundraiser for racial justice and equity work.

Every June, Summits in Solidarity engages the outdoors community in a hiking fundraiser that directly aids communities of color in combating oppression, meeting basic financial needs, and reducing barriers to outdoor access. My fiance Allie and I joined the hiking & fundraising campaign last summer in New Hampshire, and it was the rare opportunity, in this day & age when many of us are trying to find our place in producing a more just & equitable society, to connect that effort to the passions we pursue in the places we pursue them.

This year, Summits in Solidarity will be raising $35,000 for Black Lives Matter Seacoast (New Hampshire) and Latino Outdoors Boston. Donations to BLM Seacoast provide critical financial aid to Black residents of NH, while donations to Latino Outdoors Boston will fund an overnight camping event in the New England region for members.

I am raising this money as part of my racing the Trans B.C., an enduro mountain bike race that takes place over six days in June from Vancouver to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. This is a gift to myself after grad school, and racing super nice mountain bikes on some of the best trails in the world is an immense privilege. Knowing that, I wanted to be sure to use this opportunity to make the outdoors -- which have been an immense source of joy, healing, self-realization, and connection in my life -- a little bit more accessible.

Please consider donating to Summits of Solidarity, who will be passing the money directly onto these two great local organizations.

Those who donate $100 will be named "Day 1 (2, 3, etc) Champsions" during the Trans BC and I will be posting a video on Instagram personally thanking you. There's 6 of those!

Those who donate $50 will be named a Stage Champion (there's 36-ish stages over the course of this race) and will get named separately on the 'gram.

For those of you who want to participate more actively, Saturday, June 24th, people will be hiking to all 48 New Hampshire 4,000-foot peaks in solidarity, many carrying signs or the rad kerchiefs Summits in Solidarity sells. You can sign up to adopt one of the 48 here.

Thanks for your support!