Gary Engberg Outdoors

Outdoor Channel and Youth Mentorship Program Join Forces 4-28-09

gengberg April 28th, 2009

Outdoor Channel and Youth Mentorship Program Join Forces
TEMECULA, California — Outdoor Channel, America’s leader in Outdoor TV, today announced an exclusive partnership with Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, a leading national organization dedicated to providing youth with mentors who will share with them the experiences of traditional outdoor activities. Outdoor Channel’s relationship with Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors adds to its existing partnerships with more than a dozen conservation organizations and champions of the outdoors including Boy Scouts of America, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Safari Club International, Trout Unlimited and Pheasants Forever, among others. It is one more demonstration of Outdoor Channel’s robust commitment to promoting the preservation of the outdoors and encouraging future generations to enjoy traditional outdoor pursuits.As part of the relationship, Outdoor Channel will serve as Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors’ exclusive television partner, participating in all of Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors’ youth mentoring events and filming select events for inclusion in Outdoor Channel’s growing slate of original programming. Outdoor Channel will also use its extensive access to a roster of popular outdoor celebrities and personalities to endorse Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors in public service announcements on-air and on its Web site located at www.outdoorchannel.com. Outdoor Channel will also leverage its leadership position with affiliates, advertisers and outdoor affinity and conservation organizations to create customized marketing programs around Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors and youth mentoring.

“Youth participation in traditional outdoor pursuits like hunting and fishing is critical to preserving the outdoor heritage, and Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors is a great example of an organization that helps young people connect with nature,” said Denise Conroy-Galley, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Research at Outdoor Channel, and a member of the Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors Board of Directors. “With Outdoor Channel’s broad distribution and loyal viewers who are active community leaders who regularly volunteer, we’ll be supporting Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors’ mission by encouraging our viewers to join us in giving back by mentoring children in ways that connect our brand and viewers so powerfully - participating in outdoor activities. Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors is a natural fit for us and we will support them in a variety of ways.”

“It’s extremely gratifying to have a supportive partner like Outdoor Channel that has the reach, powerful platforms of television and Internet, and the same long term commitment to the outdoors and youth participation as Pass It On,” said Michael Christensen, President and CEO of Pass It On-Outdoor Mentors. “Outdoor Channel’s base of viewers is geared to those exact activities we’re focused on and as active members in their communities, we are confident that we will see significant participation from their viewers and supporters. We thank the Outdoor Channel for joining us and helping raise awareness for our mission. We are excited to have them alongside us as we work to bring kids outside with mentors, enjoying fun activities and events that will stay with them for a lifetime.”

Outdoor Channel’s exclusive partnership follows the recent endorsement made by the National Forum on Children and Nature, which highlighted the Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors program as one of 30 projects nationwide that creatively reconnect kids with nature, benefiting their overall health and appreciation for the great outdoors. For more information in Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, please visithttp://www.outdoormentors.org. Continue Reading »