A group pf people celebrate on the red carpet at a finish line, holding a placard saying Level Up in red writing.
Credit: Salomon Foundation/Salomon

Since 1999, the Salomon Foundation has assisted the social and professional rehabilitation of mountain professionals who have been physically disabled because of an accident or illness. During that time, the Foundation has helped more than 400 mountain guides, professional athletes and guardians of mountain refuges (huts), for a total amount of 1.5 million euros (150,000€ in 2023 alone). Starting 2023, the Salomon Foundation has extended its role by supporting local organizations across the globe that promote and make the outdoors more accessible to those who might have previously been excluded from it. In 2023, 16 associations in Europe, Mexico and the US have received 350.000€ ($375.000) via the Salomon Foundation. And Salomon has pledged to donate the same amount to a growing roster of organizations in 2024.

Local support for organisations promoting the outdoors

The team at the company’s headquarters in the French Alps has worked with its local Salomon offices around the world to find organizations that are helping promote the outdoors to those who have not had access previously. This includes organizations supporting cancer victims, refugees, amputees, people of colour, and those suffering from social and/or financial exclusion by providing them with outdoor gear and taking them into the outdoors. To discover more information about the projects co-organized with these organizations, visit the Salomon Foundation website.

“At Salomon, we want to connect people to the outdoors, to help them discover it, understand it and respect it,” says Marie Accambray, Director of the Salomon Foundation. “As a company, we do this by creating outdoor footwear, skis, apparel and gear, but the Salomon Foundation is a way to take this vision one step further. Indirectly, we can even better protect the environment and the outdoors by educating new people on the rewards of being in the mountains or spending time in nature.”

The following organizations will benefit from donations from the Foundation:

France

  • Casiopeea – Anaïs Quemener
  • Riders for Refugees
  • Snowboarders of Solidarity (SOS)
  • Level Up “Au dela des limites”
  • Yambi
  • Apprentis d’Auteuil
  • Jah Hiking
  • Pass’port pour l’emploi
  • Bivouac et moi
  • Des Cimes et des Monts

Italy

  • Sport sensa frontier
  • Gruppo verbanese sciatori ciechi

Mexico

  • Cimas de la Esperanza

Spain

  • En Forma Inspira

UK

  • Snowcamp (Switch180)
  • IGOT – OUTO
  • Youth Adventure Trust

USA

  • Hike Ish

“The outdoors helps us to be stable as a person. We need the outdoors to feel at peace and feel good, even if we tend to forget it,” explains Clélia Compas, Founder of YAMBI, an organization that uses mountain sports to facilitate integration for refugees living in the French Alps. “When you had to leave your country, your family, when you’ve lost everything, you need to find the energy to find a job, housing, papers, to learn French. You need to repair yourself. We see the outdoors as a way to regain self-esteem and find energy to keep going and re-enter normal life. With a partner like Salomon, we can provide them with equipment for our outdoors projects, including climbing Mont Blanc! And we are creating real ties with the team from Salomon, who even find time to join us on hikes.”

As a brand, Salomon operates with the belief that time spent outside has countless positive effect—physically through being active and exercising; mentally by connecting with nature and with oneself; and socially by teaching individuals how to respect their natural surroundings and how to behave in a group. Many people don’t have access to the outdoors for various reasons, including handicap, sickness, ethnic diversity or education. The end goal of the Salomon Foundation is to protect the outdoors through more accessibility, inclusivity and education. The idea is that people conserve what they appreciate and understand.

“Our goal is to work with local organizations, with local impact,” says Accambray. “With local organizations, we know the people we are working with, and we can work with them long-term rather than just with a one-off donation. We have been helping families more than 20 years, and we want to be able to accompany organizations over 2 to 3 years, at least. Often, the collaboration comes from a genuine connection with former Salomon employees or athlete.”

Through the Salomon Foundation, Salomon also hopes to connect different organizations to create a virtuous circle of mutual help. In addition to the 350.000€ in funding from Salomon, consumers will also be able to donate via the Salomon Foundation website or while purchasing in Salomon stores or on Salomon.com.

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