Greetings,
In 2014 dear friends funded a COBS scholarship fund they named after me. With this honor has come the immense opportunity to meet and mentor 15 delightful women who became "Gruffie Scholarship" students. They have completed courses ranging from 2 -17 weeks. They have hiked with heavy packs, soloed, paddled, climbed, rowed and camped. A few loved every minute while most struggled enough that at times they wanted to leave their course (one even tried to talk nearby climbers into loaning her a phone so she could call her mom to come and pick her up - even though she didn't know where she was). And every single one of these young women completed their course and shared some version of this statement with me: "This experience has changed my life".
Our 2024 scholarship recipient will be on a Fall Path Finder’s 30 day course. She, as the others have, will have post-course coaching and mentor available to her as she requests it. This additional opportunity helps us to better understand the long-term impact a COBS course has in young women's lives. It also provides support to help them integrate Outward Bound principles into their everyday decisions and actions.
Previously I have fundraised for this fund via personal email requests. This year I want to use this Spring Crew Campaign to fundraise for COBS. Your contribution will continue to support "Gruffie Scholarship" students that I will continue, with the help of talented COBS staff, to identify. Please know that your contribution, on any level, is impacting a young woman in ways that few other experience can or will.
So thank you. Sincerely and deeply. Please contact me if you have any questions about our "Gruffie" fund or this new fundraising approach.
Cheers!
Gruffie
