Winnebago Industries and the National Park Foundation Partner to Advance Outdoor Equity
Winnebago Industries is enhancing its long-term partnership with the National Park Foundation to promote racial equity and create career pathways in national parks. The initiative focuses on service corps programs for individuals aged 18-35, providing them with hands-on experience in park preservation. Winnebago will support projects that aim to inspire diverse leadership in outdoor careers. The partnership also highlights the 'Open OutDoors for Kids' program and features promotional activities, including a Winnebago Solis giveaway on 'Wheel of Fortune' starting March 8.
- Winnebago is expanding its partnership with the National Park Foundation, focusing on diversity and equity.
- Funding for service corps programs will provide young people with job training and skills.
- None.
Multi-year partnership advances racial equity by helping to create career pathways in national parks
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., March 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For more than six decades, Winnebago Industries has created products that enable customers to explore America’s national parks. Today, Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE: WGO), a leading outdoor lifestyle product manufacturer, is bolstering its support of the National Park Foundation (NPF), the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. In aligning with NPF’s efforts to inspire and diversify the next generation of outdoor leaders, Winnebago will fund critical preservation and restoration projects in parks across the country.
This year, Winnebago Industries’ and the Winnebago Industries Foundation will focus on service corps programs, which provide young people, ages 18-35, with hands-on work experience in America’s national parks. Participants will learn new construction and preservation skills, while providing parks with critical infrastructure improvements. Service corps programs facilitate connections to the parks, provide on-the-job training, and help to create more opportunities for diverse leaders to experience careers in the outdoors.
“Winnebago Industries is uniquely positioned to help bring more people to national parks safely and comfortably, thanks to our wide array of outdoor lifestyle products,” said Winnebago Industries President and CEO Michael Happe. “However, the partnership with the National Park Foundation runs much deeper. Together we aim to grow equitable outdoor spaces by engaging the next generation of women and outdoor enthusiasts of color with meaningful career pathways in national parks. It is an honor to support the work of the National Park Foundation in pursuit of our common goals.”
As part of the partnership with NPF, Winnebago and the Winnebago Industries Foundation will accelerate efforts started two years ago to raise awareness about the more than 400 parks available to visitors, including those less traveled. The Winnebago Industries Foundation also provides support for NPF’s Open OutDoors for Kids program, which offers hands-on learning opportunities for students to experience the beauty, history, and culture of our parks through field trips and educational resources.
“Winnebago Industries’ support is critical to the National Park Foundation’s efforts to deepen people’s connections to parks and inspire future generations of park stewards,” said National Park Foundation President and CEO Will Shafroth. “Together we are helping to create more equitable outdoors spaces, including where we live, work, travel and play.”
When the partnership launched in 2019, Winnebago debuted a limited-edition National Park Foundation Travato, a recreation vehicle featuring exclusive graphics and the Pure3 Energy Management System, which leverages latest technology solar power for untethered journeys and unlimited adventures. Winnebago ambassadors traveled in a National Park Foundation Travato and shared stories from the road. They visited some of the hidden gem parks across the country, demonstrating the ease with which they could explore the national parks, monuments, historic sites, and seashores both near and far, relying on the vehicle’s Pure 3 Energy system, which allowed them to disconnect from shore power for extended periods of time.
In a further effort to bring people outdoors, Winnebago will feature a Winnebago Solis as a Bonus Round prize for an in-show contestant on Wheel of Fortune starting March 8, to highlight the show’s national park-themed week. A home viewer also will have the chance to win a Solis in “Wheel’s Win a Winnebago Giveaway.”
About Winnebago Industries and Winnebago Industries Foundation
Winnebago Industries, Inc. is a leading U.S. manufacturer of outdoor lifestyle products under the Winnebago, Grand Design, Chris-Craft and Newmar brands, which are used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The Company builds quality motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheel products and boats. Winnebago Industries has multiple facilities in Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota and Florida. The Company's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and traded under the symbol WGO. For access to Winnebago Industries' investor relations material or to add your name to an automatic email list for Company news releases, visit http://investor.wgo.net. The Winnebago Industries Foundation seeks to inspire new generations of outdoor enthusiasts, mobilize resources to reach people in need, and support employee volunteers to build strong communities where we work, live and explore. We focus our community investment in three impact areas: outdoors, access, and community. Learn more at https://www.winnebagoind.com/responsibility/community
About the National Park Foundation
The National Park Foundation works to protect wildlife and park lands, preserve history and culture, educate and engage youth, and connect people everywhere to the wonder of parks. We do it in collaboration with the National Park Service, the park partner community, and with the generous support of donors, without whom our work would not be possible. Learn more at www.nationalparks.org.
Contact:
Sam Jefson
sjefson@winnebagoind.com
641-425-7752
FAQ
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