Taking the phrase “wearing your heart on your sleeve” to a new level, we are partnering with Ediza, a new clothing brand that is dedicated to creating artistic clothing that promotes and protects the outdoor spaces that so many people love.
When you buy a shirt from the Sierra Collection, Ediza will give 50% of the profits to our Pinnacle Program, providing full-tuition scholarships for highly motivated youth from underserved communities to go on course!
We asked Ediza’s Co-Founder, Andrew Hening, to share the story of how Ediza came to be:
In April of 2011 I found myself in Yosemite for the first time. AmeriCorps had just brought me to California, and it seemed as though every other person I met was recommending I put a visit to the iconic park at the top of my bucket list. I was new to hiking. I was new to camping. Frankly, I was new to the “great outdoors”, but the allure was undeniable.
There had been a huge snowstorm in the Sierras the week before my visit, but when I arrived it was 70 degrees without a cloud in the sky. The mountains were covered in snow, the valley was a lush green, and everywhere I looked I saw humongous, careening waterfalls. It felt like something out of Lord of the Rings. I vividly remember hiking up a creek of melting snow as I made my way along the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail. I basked in the afternoon sun next to Mirror Lake with Half Dome shimmering in the waters at my feet. I can genuinely say that weekend in the Sierras changed my life, and I know I am not the only person who has felt that way.
Despite this amazing experience, after five years of exploring parks and wilderness areas throughout the Sierras, I kept finding myself asking why aren’t there better ways to express my love for these magical places? I didn’t want a corny national park shirt with a giant cartoon bear and the park name in huge box letters. I didn’t want to just post pictures on Facebook. It’s about the place! It’s about the experience of getting there! That’s how Ediza was born.
My friend Jules and I started Ediza as a way to celebrate the places we love. In our first series of custom-designed graphic T-shirts, we are celebrating iconic vistas in the Sierras. However, just like people encouraged me to visit Yosemite five years ago, we want our clothing to inspire people to get outside and fall in love with the wilderness. And to really bake that mission into everything we do, we are donating 50% of our profits from this collection to Outward Bound of California (OBCA). Our goal is to raise $4,500 for their Pinnacle Scholarship Program by Labor Day.
As an OBCA supporter, we would love your support with this campaign.
Keep it wild!
You can support Outward Bound California and sport your favorite spot in the Sierras by purchasing a shirt between now and Labor Day!
