NOLS in Minnesota
University of Minnesota’s popular football team, the Gophers, was recently soundly shellacked by Iowa in their season finale. In an effort to comfort distraught Gopher fans, a cadre of hardy NOLS staff offered a smorgasbord of marketing and alumni activities in the Twin Cities area during the chilly closing week of the Gopher’s season.
Shell-shocked Minnesota fans responded enthusiastically to our presence at the Midwest Mountaineering Expo where NOLS staff distributed information and conducted educational mini-seminars on wound care, adult education, avalanche transceiver use and backcountry nutrition.
Instructor and bon vivant Riley Hopeman was excited by the turnout at his afternoon nutrition seminar: “People asked great, detailed questions—it’s obvious that there’s a ton of outdoor activity all around the state and that folks are interested in NOLS’ perspective.”
NOLS also hosted an alumni reunion in Minneapolis. Reunions bring grads, families and prospective students together to connect, or reconnect, with the school and network with like-minded outdoor people. We had some good eats, saw a slide show on NOLS’ recent alumni trips in Italy’s Dolomite region, raffled off a whack of NOLS gear while being periodically serenaded by large, well-lubricated Iowa fans who were watching the Gopher game nearby.
We wrapped up NOLS’ Minnesota blitz with an afternoon of discounted indoor climbing in St. Paul. Three-dozen grads, friends and family members (even some young students-to-be) enjoyed the chance to climb together in a top-notch (and heated!) facility.
We’re thrilled to bring some educational pieces of NOLS to Minnesota and our growing community of alumni and supporters in the Twin Cities area. If you’d like to get involved with our Minnesota alumni group, or if you’ve got ideas on additional ways we can bring NOLS into your community, please drop us an email note.
Youbetcha Gophers!
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