If you've been inside our retail shop lately, you know that 2024 has been a year of dramatic transformation for Pando Refitters. This was the year we knocked down walls (literally), took over our entire downtown building, and transformed from being a hole-in-the-wall spot for the "in-the-know” crowd, to becoming a destination for the wider community.
Making sure everything runs smoothly through the rapid growth, while staying true to our core values has been a challenge to say the least, and we couldn't have done it without your support.
But what we're most proud of as we look back over the past year has nothing to do with our growth, but with the impact we've been able to make with your help.
Our number one reason for existence is to raise funds to preserve wild spaces in the American West.
As an independent brick-and-mortar shop with limited financial resources, we can only do so much on our own. That's why we started the Pando Conservation Club. The concept is simple — maybe we can't afford to make large donations on our own, but what we CAN do is offer you a wide range of shop perks, if you'll help us out by supporting these conservation organizations.
The majority of the donations made through Pando Refitters this year came from you joining the Pando Conservation Club and answering the call to help us make a difference. Together, here's what we were able to accomplish —
- $1451 to Bicycle Collective to help recycle bikes and provide mobility to those in need.
- $979 to Utah Open Lands to help preserve some of some of Utah's most unique landscapes from future development.
- $739 to BikeWalk Provo to advocate for safer streets, and purchase tools for a new community bike shop.
- $712 to Salt Lake Climbers Alliance, to help preserve sensitive climbing areas along the Wasatch Front.
- $675 to Conserve Utah Valley, to advocate for land and water conservation in Utah Valley
- $240 to Save our Canyons, advocate for sensible usage and preservation of Salt Lake's sensitive canyon ecosystems.
In addition to these monetary donations, with your help we were able to keep an estimated 36,000lb of used outdoor gear and apparel in circulation longer in 2024. Yes, we know that your choice isn't a simple "bring it to Pando or send it to the landfill". But by bringing your gear to Pando, you're helping to keep these items out on the trail where they belong, rather than in the back of a dusty closet until they become obsolete and undesirable.
Looking Forward
What's in store for 2025? This year we're working on our most ambitious goal yet, more than doubling our impact with $10,000 raised for conservation. If you haven't yet, you can help us make a difference today by joining the Pando Conservation Club.