Giving Day 2016

We believe the Recreation Department's activities should be financially accessible to all. The goal of this campaign is to mitigate financial barriers to participating in Recreation programs by raising funds to cover our annual gear expenses. Without a successful campaign, rising costs would require us to increase program costs in order to maintain a balanced budget.

Each year over 6,000 students, staff, faculty, and community members join programs offered through the UC Santa Cruz Recreation Department. Nearly all of these 400+ programs require some type of equipment and outdoor gear. No one backpacks without a stove or kayaks without a paddle. One person backpacking through the Sierra on Wilderness Orientation is likely to be carrying nearly $1,000 worth of gear. Over $1,500 worth of equipment is needed for one student to paddle on a one-day Monterey Bay kayak tour.

While the costs are high, it's this gear that allows the programs to happen. And it's on these programs that the magic happens—lifelong friendships are established and profound insights into ourselves, our community, and our environment are crystallized.

Maintaining program costs is essential to reducing barriers to participation among UC Santa Cruz's increasingly diverse student population. A successful campaign will allow Recreation to maintain program costs, eliminating the immediate need to increase program fees and to sustain financial accessibility.