DICK’S Sporting Goods New Fund to Protect the Outdoors
September 10, 2021
Popular US retailer, DICK’s Sporting Goods, has created a new Public Lands Fund to support local and national initiatives that protect new lands, improve existing lands, breakdown the barriers of access to outdoor experiences and improve inclusion and equity outdoors.
It is part of DICK'S new outdoor speciality store concept, Public Lands, to help more people get outside to play while protecting America's public lands. The first store will hold its grand opening open on September 24 in Cranberry Township (near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and a second store will open in Columbus, Ohio in October. It will carry a premium assortment of outdoor and lifestyle apparel, footwear and equipment brands and support the local outdoor community through conservation, access and equity-based initiatives.
In early December 2020, the retailer announced the new concept which CEO Ed Stack described as being a good reflection of the company’s focus: “We think it’s important to protect our public lands, to protect the environment.” Public Lands, a member of 1% for the Planet which tackles the planet’s most pressing environmental issues, has committed to donating one percent of all gross sales to The Public Lands Fund.
The Fund, an initiative of the The DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation - a Beyond Sport supporter - will use the proceeds to support an initial mix of 10 local and national environmental non-profit organizations.
“At Public Lands, our mission is to celebrate and protect public lands for all. We want to do this in a meaningful way and partner with organizations that have already accomplished—and continue to do—incredible work to ensure our public lands and outdoor spaces are clean, preserved and open for all," said Public Lands President, Todd Spaletto.
"Moving forward, we’re going to be working with our non-profit partners to support their missions and collaborate on programs that get more people into the outdoors and take care of our local, state, and national parks and recreation spaces. In fact, we’re proud that our Pittsburgh-area store team has already logged 224 hours in volunteering with local non-profit partners doing trail restoration, clean up and breaking new trails in local Pittsburgh parks and lands.”
The initial non-profit partners in the Pittsburgh region are Allegheny Land Trust and Venture Outdoors. In Columbus, the company will support: The Arc of Appalachia, Project Learning Tree and Friends of Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. The national non-profit partner organizations include: the Alaska Wilderness League, The Conservation Alliance, The Conservation Lands Foundation, Student Conservation Association and The Trust for Public Land.