Roanoke Outside creates economic growth by leveraging natural assets to attract investment and talent. Through business attraction, signature outdoor events, strategic partnerships, social offerings, and infrastructure investment Roanoke Outside seeks to establish the Roanoke Region as a place where businesses want to locate and where people want to live. Roanoke Outside manages www.roanokeoutside.com and a portfolio of brand-building events that include Blue Ridge Marathon, GO Outside Festival (GO Fest), and Go Cross Cyclocross Race. The Roanoke Outside Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization and is part of the Roanoke Regional Partnership family, which also includes Get2KnowNoke.
Roanoke Outside seeks to impact the greater good of the community by organizing or partnering with others to create outdoor-oriented activities and programs that:
- Educate citizens about benefits of activities such as hiking, biking, climbing and paddling.
- Encourage environmental stewardship and conservation through recreation.
- Promote a healthy lifestyle and increased fitness levels through outdoor recreation.
- Use outdoor activities to raise money for charitable environmental stewardship and to improve access.
Goals
- Encourage the exploration, enjoyment, and preservation of the Roanoke Region’s recreational assets for human-powered outdoor recreation activities.
- Protect the wilderness character of the Roanoke Region’s outdoor assets through conservation of water, forests, parks, wildlife, and related resources.
- Promote and celebrate safety, proficiency, and responsibility in all aspects of outdoor recreation.
Objectives
- Promote appreciation and respect for the value of outdoor activity.
- Educate citizens on how to use outdoor assets to improve quality of life.
- Serve as a convener and facilitator of collaborative action among the partners involved in outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship.
- Create health benefits from outdoor recreation that extend into economic benefits such as increased productivity and reduced medical costs.
- Build a culture of conservation through recreation and education targeting school age children.
- Be a vehicle for funding, managing, or implementing outdoor related programming and infrastructure improvements
- Use outdoor events to raise support and awareness for health initiatives and environmental stewardship
