Columbia/Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Announce 2016 Belay Program Grant Recipients

20 Award Winners Receive Support for Local Conservation and Outdoor
Education Projects

PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Columbia Sportswear (NASDAQ:COLM) and the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
(Grassroots) are proud to support local conservation and outdoor
education projects across the country through the Columbia/Grassroots
Belay Program. Established in 2012, this program provides funding and
product support to projects selected by Grassroots members. In 2016, 20
new projects have been selected to receive a total of $100,000 of
support from Columbia.

“Since it began in 2012, the Belay Program has demonstrated its ability
to accomplish vital conservation work while engaging local communities,”
said Scott Welch, Global Corporate Relations Manager at Columbia
Sportswear Company. “We’re proud of our long-term partnership with
Grassroots and excited for the opportunity to support 2016 grant
recipients in their mission to conserve the natural places we love and
get kids outside.”

Grassroots and Columbia share a mission of connecting people with the
outdoors while fostering environmental stewardship on local, national
and global levels. The Columbia/Grassroots Belay Program demonstrates a
joint commitment to the outdoors while providing basic necessities to
secure and safeguard local projects improving our environment. Since
2012, Columbia has provided $430,000 in support of Belay Program
projects across the nation.

“This program is a prime example of how important work can be
accomplished through the collaboration of great brands like Columbia and
specialty outdoor stores,” said Wes Allen, President of Grassroots. “Our
ongoing partnership with Columbia provides much needed resources and
opportunities for Grassroots retailers to engage with and contribute to
their communities in meaningful ways.”

The following 20 organizations were proposed and selected by Grassroots
members for support in the 2016 program year. The grant recipients are
local non-profit partners of Grassroots members located across the
country and will receive $5,000 in the form of cash, product, or both
from Columbia. If you have an interest in their specific projects,
please feel free to reach out to the recipients directly via the links
below.

2016 Awards (Project name, grant recipient/Grassroots partner):

• Big Frog Wilderness Trails, Southern
  Appalachian Wilderness Stewards/Rock Creek Outfitters
• Building the Next Generation of Outdoor Stewards and Conservation
  Leaders, North
  Cascades Institute/Backcountry Essentials
• Camp Kanata for SE Raleigh Teens, Alexander
  Family YMCA/Great Outdoor Provision Co.
• Community Paddling and River Cleanup Program, Ausable
  River Association/The Mountaineer
• Cranbrook Schools Horizons – Upward Bound Wilderness Adventure, Cranbook
  Education Community/Backcountry North
• Cub Scout Camp Nature/Outdoor Education Expansion Project, Mid-America
  Council Boy Scouts of America/Canfield’s
• Eastern Sierra Youth Outdoors 2016, Rotary
  Club of Bishop/Eastside Sports
• Grand Teton Youth Conservation Program, Grand
  Teton National Park Foundation/Skinny Skis
• Kids in Kayaks, The
  Outside Foundation/Outside Hilton Head
• Lander Youth Climbing Camp, Central Wyoming Climbers Collation/Wild
  Iris Mountain Sports
• Montana Audubon Center, Montana
  Audubon/The Base Camp
• Nantahala Kids Club, Nantahala
  Racing Club/Nantahala Outdoor Center
• Native Expeditions Young Stewards, Native
  Expeditions/Pack Rat Outdoor Center
• North Carolina Outward Bound School’s Intercept Program, North
  Carolina Outward Bound/Diamond Brand
• Outdoor
  Lab/Casual Adventure
• Paddle Georgia 2016 Youth Program, Georgia
  River Network/Outside World
• Roaring Fork Young Stewards Initiative, Roaring
  Fork Outdoor Volunteers/Summit Canyon Mountaineering
• The Green Heart Project School Garden Program at Mitchell Elementary
  School, The
  Green Heart Project/Half Moon Outfitters
• West Rock Hike Field Trips Scholarship, The
  Denali Foundation/Trailblazer/Denali
• Wilderness Inquiry Mississippi River Community Voyager Canoeing, Wilderness
  Inquiry/Midwest Mountaineering

About Columbia

Columbia, the flagship brand of Portland, Oregon-based Columbia
Sportswear Company, has been creating innovative apparel, footwear,
accessories and equipment for outdoor enthusiasts since 1938. Columbia
has become a leading global brand by channeling the company’s passion
for the outdoors, and an innovative spirit into technologies and
performance products that keep people warm, dry, cool and protected
year-round. To learn more, please visit the company’s website at www.columbia.com.

About Grassroots Outdoor Alliance

The Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is a group of independent outdoor
retailers organized to serve the needs of its member operating over 100
independent specialty outdoor stores throughout North America.
Grassroots is dedicated to creating benefits to its members through
sharing information, fostering communication, promoting best business
practices and protecting our natural environment, locally and globally.
To learn more visit www.grassrootsoutdoors.com.

Contacts

Columbia
Andy Nordhoff, 503-985-1739
PR Manager
anordhoff@columbia.com
or
Grassroots
Outdoor Alliance
Wes Allen, 307-213-5187
President
wes@grassrootsoutdoors.com