POW Action Fund Launches New Lobby Effort

Protect Our Winters Action Fund (POW Action Fund) adapts to the challenge of advocating on Capitol Hill amidst a pandemic; creating the non-profit’s largest and most inclusive climate change lobbying effort to date: June 8-11, 2020. With athletes grounded, and most brand leaders and scientists working from home, the POW Action Fund is booking a record number of meetings between members of Congress, and Olympians, athletes, leaders of the $887 billion outdoor industry, and climate scientists. This year’s move to distance advocacy allows for everyone who joins POW’s Outdoor State to participate in Monday’s community lobby training, lunch and happy hour events and even direct lobbying efforts.

Major athletes including Olympians Jessie Diggins, Steven Nyman, Gretchen Bleiler, Maddie Phaneuf, Elena Hight, climbers Tommy Caldwell, Sasha DiGiulian, Emily Harrington, legendary mountaineer Conrad Anker, skier Caroline Gleich and dozens of others, outdoor brands, and mountain resorts will be partnered with five climate scientists to make bi-partisan, science and passion-backed climate asks of Congress.

To bring the Capitol Hill experience to all, POW will be hosting a series of events open to all members of POW’s 50M strong Outdoor State featuring members of Congress and athletes. Everyone is welcome to join the Outdoor State and encouraged to fortify the efforts of POW Action Fund’s lobby teams the week of June 8. The effort starts with a community training open to all on Monday night at 7:30pm (EST) / 4:30pm (PST) to talk through the specific climate and clean energy policies the delegations are asking for this year and to prepare members of the Outdoor State to make effective asks of their representatives.

“This is a critical time in the climate conversation, with hundreds of billions of dollars being poured into stabilizing the economy, updating infrastructure and job creation. As we rebuild, this is our chance to position the country for the future with forward-looking investments in clean energy and transportation,” said Mario Molina, Executive Director of the POW Action Fund. “Our community is able to make a major impact this year. Hundreds of people from POW’s Outdoor State will be amplifying the economic and personal stories that outdoor athletes and industry leaders are uniquely able to share.”

On Wednesday, advocacy efforts begin with calls to Congress to make climate asks and daily lunch and happy hour events open to all who join POW AF’s climate advocacy efforts. Events will feature a bi-partisan mix of members of Congress and senators who sit on committees making decisions on climate and public lands issues being interviewed by top athletes (full list of event guests below). Athletes, industry leaders and Protect Our Winters Action Fund executives are available for interviews and bookings about 2020 climate goals and POW AF’s advocacy efforts starting now.

Monday, June 8, 2020

7:30pm (EST) / 4:30pm (PST) POW Community Lobby Training to learn policy, how to make asks

w/ Rep. Neguse (D-CO) and ultra-runner Clare Gallagher

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

All Day POW AF Delegations meeting with members of Congress

2pm (EST) / 11am (PST) POW Lunch Rep. Rooney (R-FL) w/ climber Sasha DiGiulian

Join us here for all lunch and happy hour events (all are welcome!)

7pm (EST) / 4pm (PST) Happy Hour with member of Congress and POW Alliance

Thursday, June 11, 2020

All Day POW AF Delegations meeting with members of Congress

2pm (EST) / 11am (PST) POW Lunch Senator Heinrich (D-NM) and POW Alliance athlete

7pm (EST) / 4pm (PST) Happy Hour with member of Congress and POW Alliance

Founded in 2018 as a sister organization to Protect Our Winters, the POW Action Fund works to make action on climate change a top policy priority for the outdoor sports community. By connecting the dots between climate change and its impact on the outdoors, the POW Action Fund turns the outdoor community’s shared passion for adventuring in wild places into the political will needed to drive positive action on climate change.