Click here to read grade school students' letters

..

Dear Sierra Club,

.....I wanted to thank you all at the Sierra Club. You have let me experience a whole new world, the outdoors. I had never before experienced the outdoors, until the Sierra Club came along. I haven't been just exploring new experiences, but I have been having fun while doing so. I thank you for finding money to fund these trips, without it we wouldn't be able to go anywhere, so that's a very Important factor In the whole thing. I'm glad that money was granted, and I hope the funds keep coming In. From the trips, I have found something new In myself, that I never knew I had in me; who would have known I had an outdoors side?

.....I am really grateful The Sierra Club exists. I am able to participate in an Outdoors Course this summer in Idaho; I really need to thank you for that. The leaders that we have from The Sierra Club introduced me to a person, who was working with this program, and they asked me If I wanted to participate in the course. I said yes, and it was done. I am very excited that I have this chance, and I have you to thank for It, I think it was fate. I just would like to thank you so much for expanding my horizons, and changing my outlook on the outdoors. I hope you all keep doing what your doing, and I hope you change someone's point of view on the outdoors, like you all did for me.

..............................Sincerely from a grateful student,

....................................Kimberly N

....................................Student from Philadelphia High School For Girls

...

Dear Sierra Club:

.....Hello! I am Jennifer B-----------, a junior at Philadelphia High School for Girls. I am writing to express my thanks for the Sierra Clubs support through Inner City Outings in sponsoring our recent cross-country siding trip. In my school, ICO works through the Students for Environmental Awareness, or the SEA. I have been a member of the SEA sense the end of my freshmen year and have always looked forward to Sierra Club sponsored events. From cleaning up lakes to over-night canoe trips, it is always a fun new adventure with out leaders, Barbara Bailey and Eric Pavlak.

.....Last Saturday was the first time I have been able to go skiing. Up until that point, for me, snow was a thing of anguish; it was an obstacle in my daily routine. At the closing circle however, when we said our likes and dislikes about the trip, snow was not at the top of my dislikes. As we went around the circle, many things repeated such as, "I didn't like falling down" and "I liked doing something new". The list I had thought of was a little different, I liked falling down. To see a classmate fall with a twisted smile and a cheerful shout only to burst out laughing caused me to fall over laughing, and I loved it. I liked being able to not-look at my watch for a few hours or worry about what work was waiting for me when I got home. The only thing I disliked about the top was that eventually, it had to end and again I would back in the uniform speed of life.

.....Out next trip, we will be a clean up project supervising younger children in tree planting and litter removal. The SEA plans to also sponsoring a few various school projects including out Annual School Beautification project in the spring. After that Barbara and Eric are leading us on an over-night backpacking hike for our final trip. I cannot imagine anything that I could dislike about that trip. Thank you in advance for you future support.

............................................................Sincerely,

............................................................Jennifer B--------