Athletic Brewing Company Announces $2 Million Two For The Trails Donation to Protect and Restore Outdoor Spaces
2024 donation marks Athletic’s largest ever in a single year and includes $250,000 directed toward disaster relief projects impacted by recent hurricanes
Athletic Brewing Company, America’s largest dedicated non-alcoholic brewer, today announced a $2 million donation to help protect and restore more than 170 outdoor spaces across the world. The donation, distributed through the Athletic’s Two For The Trails grant program, is the largest ever in the company’s history. Of the $2 million donation, $250,000 has been earmarked for long-term restoration projects in North Carolina and Florida, addressing the devastation caused by hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Established in 2018 as a founding principle of the Athletic business plan, Two For The Trails is the largest annual environmental grant program in the craft brewing industry. To date, the program has awarded nearly 550 grants totaling more than $6.2 million and helped to fund over 700 projects in 45 U.S. states, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Athletic’s 2024 donations will fund over 170 projects and impact an estimated 63 million outdoor enthusiasts and trail users. More than 4,000 miles of trail and 530,000 acres of open space are expected to benefit from this year’s donation.
As part of the $2 million donation, $50,000 will support the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC) Appalachian Trail (A.T.) Resiliency Fund, to address the damage left by Hurricane Helene, the largest natural disaster the A.T. has faced in the Conservancy’s 100-year history. This grant will support investments in A.T. infrastructure, landscape restoration, and trailside communities. An additional $200,000 will fund 12 more disaster relief projects in affected areas.
“Athletic Brewing Company’s support will accelerate the ATC’s efforts to plan and coordinate the essential work of repairing and building a more resilient Appalachian Trail after the historic damage left by Hurricane Helene,” said Sandi Marra, President and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. “This generous contribution will have a lasting impact and help ensure the People’s Trail remains open, connected, and able to withstand the effects of future disasters.”
An additional grantee for Athletic’s Two For The Trail program is The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Athletic will fund two projects in the backyards of its breweries in Connecticut and San Diego. The TNC, a global environmental nonprofit that impacts conservation efforts in more than 80 countries, will use the funding to upgrade trails for use by people with disabilities as part of its “Connecticut ADA Trail Upgrades” project. In the San Diego metro, heavy rainfall has eroded sections of the steep, rocky incline, inhibiting access to runners, hikers, and birders. The funding for the “McGinty Mountain Trail Restoration” project will be used to create water bars to avoid future water damage, stone steps, the removal of invasive plants, and spreading of native seeds to improve the conservation value of the area.
“For the first time in our history, Athletic will donate $2 million in a single year through our Two For The Trails program, supporting a wide range of outdoor projects across the U.S., UK, and Canada,” said Cara Wilson, B Corp & Two For The Trails Manager at Athletic. “This essential funding will directly benefit the environment and communities where our customers live, work, and adventure, helping to protect, enhance, and sustain outdoor spaces for generations to come. We aim to provide safe, equitable access to the great outdoors and look forward to seeing the transformative impact of these projects.”
The Two For The Trails program pays homage to Athletic co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt’s family practice of toasting post-trail adventures with two brews and honors his passion for preserving the great outdoors. Athletic made its first Two For The Trails donation of $6k to a single partner in 2018. The program has steadily grown in the years since, and the $2 million donation in 2024 marks the largest amount made in a single year to date.
“The growth of the Two For The Trails program has been one of the most rewarding aspects of our journey thus far,” said Shufelt. “What began as a single donation in 2018 has blossomed into a cornerstone of our mission to protect and enhance the outdoor spaces we cherish. We’re proud to support projects that not only restore trails but also create lasting environmental and community impact, ensuring these spaces are accessible and preserved for generations to come.”
Beginning in 2024, all Two For The Trails grant recipients are registered non-profit organizations with projects rooted in outdoor conservation or maintenance. 2024 grantees were notified in November and have begun planning efforts for how they will use the funds. Non-profit organizations interested in applying for Athletic’s 2025 round of grant funding can sign up here. Applications will open in the summer of 2025.
Earlier this year, Athletic released a short film, which can be viewed on YouTube, highlighting the work of three recent Two For The Trails partners.
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