October 1, 2020
Last September the Angeles Chapter and Team Sierra put on the first-ever City Hike: LA. 115 participants from the Greater LA and OC area hiked a collective 500+ miles through Koreatown and DTLA, raising an incredible $27,000. This year, however, we found ourselves in a very different world – one in need of community and restoration. With people unable to get outdoors due to wildfire smoke and a global pandemic, we still wanted to come together, have a little fun, and learn more about our community and our planet. So, we introduced our Virtual Scavenger Hunt sponsored by Beneficial Stata Bank.
Proceeds from the event help both the Chapter and Team Sierra, half of the money remaining local to fund Sierra Club Angeles Chapter’s clean air initiatives and the other funding Team Sierra’s work to protect the wildlife and wild places we love, advance climate solutions, make the outdoors accessible for all, and more!
Here’s a recap of the fun:
The event kicked off early Saturday morning with coffee and tea on the Remo conferencing platform. Sierra Club members and supporters were introduced to our celebrity leader judges and received instructions for the clues and prizes. The celebrity panel featured actress and activist Sarah Gilman, ‘Thru-hiking legend’ Liz Thomas, and Culver City Councilmember and former Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells.
[Councilmember Mehgan Sahli-Wells (top left) Liz Thomas (top right) Sarah Gilman (bottom right) Morgan Goodwin (bottom left)]
The event featured both “family-friendly” and “adult” video clues available around different environmental themes. Clues featured people like actress and activist Amber Valetta, Mayor of Costa Mesa Katrina Foley, Sierra Club Staff Members, volunteers, and community activists. Each clue was intentionally open-ended to allow teams to participate from home or outdoors.
Teams got creative submitting clues by taking a photo, drawing, or any other creative venture!
Clue Travel: Take a picture of clean transportation infrastructure that makes you feel hopeful.
Chapter Director, Morgan Goodwin at Bee Rock to answer clue for mountains!
“Sometimes graffiti can be a good thing,” judges choice for clue: community
Chapter Chair Sharon Koch’s beautiful submission for clue: plants, was under consideration for ‘single favorite image’ by the judges.
Team M&M’s awesome shot of Eagle Rock was among the top submissions ‘that made us laugh the hardest’.
Later that evening participants reconvened on Remo as the judge’s recap photos and award prizes for categories like “Most creative bringing the ‘indoors outdoors’, “Best use of resources and/or props,” and “the one that made us laugh the hardest.”
Winners took home prizes from our sponsors AllTrails, Clif Bar, and Team Sierra!
Thank you to all of the hikers, volunteers, and sponsors who made the first-ever Team Sierra City Hike a great success. Money raised from the event will help Sierra Club in its mission to protect the planet, including local initiatives to keep the air clean in the Greater Los Angeles area. To learn more about Team Sierra, Sierra Club's fundraising program, visit teamsierra.org.