Governor’s Healthy Small Business Award celebrated

DENVER - Friday, Feb. 2 - Boulder-based Avid4 Adventure has received the Governor’s Healthy Small Business Award of 2017, presented by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). Representatives of Avid4 Adventure were honored yesterday at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Leading Edge Graduation Ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion. The Governor’s Healthy Business Award is part of the OEDIT statewide initiative, "For Colorado: For the Health of It!,” focused on integrating health and wellness into the places Coloradans live, work and play. The award honors one small business making great strides supporting the health and wellness of their employees, while simultaneously impacting their business vitality.

Avid4 Adventure, an outdoor recreation company empowering children to live healthy and active lifestyles through summer camps, school programs and community events was selected as the 2017 award winning small business, for cultivating a culture of holistic health and wellness for their employees. The business, which employs 25 year-round staff, embraces health and wellness as an economic driver by allowing their employees access to activities and equipment while integrating the outdoors into once a month “rec outings.”

“When we make these outdoor recreation outings mandatory, it reminds us to take a step back and breathe, which in the end drives us to be more productive and happy at work,” said Mindy Yeager, staffing director at Avid4 Adventure.

As this year’s winner of the Healthy Business Award, Avid4 Adventure will receive $500, contributed by ColoradoBiz, to further enhance its employee wellness efforts, as well as a six-month subscription to FruitRevival, a local fruit basket delivery service to support nutrition in the workplace.

In an effort to support both their staff and community, the company provides discounts and free privileges for recreational equipment and activities, such as subsidizing gym passes and providing free bike tunes. Health and wellness is everywhere in their institute, including a private room loaded with stretching, yoga and meditation and creating flexible work schedules so employees can pursue more outdoor activities.

“Avid4 is an example that it’s possible for an organization to be efficient, world class and an insane amount of fun,” said Eric Rightor, the overnight camp director at Avid4’s largest overnight camp.

To help spread their mission, Avid4 Adventure has also worked with multiple non-profit organizations. Among the non-profits that have collaborated with Avid4 Adventure are Leave No Trace, Access Fund, American Whitewater, Outdoor Alliance for Kids and Thorne Nature Experience, who worked on a GOCO grant to increase outdoor access to less privileged families. Beyond their summer camps, Avid4 Adventure hosts community recreation days to provide access and instruction to families in local recreational areas at a reduced rate and/or with no rental costs.

“We aim to move the needle on the increasing rates of childhood obesity and child screen time on a national by empowering them to be active outside,” said Paul Dreyer, CEO of Avid4.

In 2017, Avid4 Adventure served about 20,000 children in Colorado and California from ages 3 to 17, while assisting 100 percent of families that applied for financial aid to attend a day camp. They are currently in the process of becoming a certified B-Corp.

“Avid4 is my family,” said Sarak Pekala, Vice President of Day Camps. “I’ve been here a very long time, and it is hard to imagine doing anything else. I am just drawn as to our mission today as I was ten years ago.”

About For Colorado: For the Health of It! Initiative

OEDIT is fueling the For Colorado: For the Health of It!Initiative with the mission to cultivate a culture of health and well-being in small businesses and communities to enhance economic vitality statewide by providing free health and wellness consultation; awarding a healthy community and small business; and exploring the development of a statewide wellness council. Colorado Small Business Development Center (COSBDC) is a stakeholder organization within OEDIT implementing the free health and wellness consultation statewide.

About Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works with statewide partners to create a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. Under the leadership of Governor John Hickenlooper, we strive to advance the state’s economy through financial and technical assistance in support of local and regional economic development activities throughout Colorado.

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