The Andersons

REI’s purpose is to “… inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship.”  and there are core values that REI employees aspire to:

Authenticity: We are true to the outdoors.

Quality: We provide trustworthy products and services. 

Service: We serve others with expertise and enthusiasm. 

Respect: We listen and learn from each other.

Integrity: We live by a code of rock solid ethics, honesty, and decency.

Balance: We encourage each other to enjoy all aspects of life.

Each year fellow co-workers nominate their peers for The Anderson Award based off of if they live those REI’s core values and embody the co-op spirit.  It has been said that getting this recognition is REI's highest honor and that those that win are the "best of the best"... and for some reason REI Pittsburgh Store 101 chose ME as their Anderson Award Recipient for 2015! 

Even as I write this post, I am still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I was granted such an amazing experience.  And all I want to do is find ways to say "THANK YOU" to REI and especially my REI family at 101 for thinking so highly of me.  I would NOT be who I am today OR doing what I am doing this year without you, your love, and your support. 

Now, trying to sum up the 3 scheduled days of the Anderson Award Event is even harder than finding ways to express my gratitude! They seriously pack in so much excitement, information, education, adventure, and emotion into 3 days that one is going from 7AM til 11PM each day (I am including the social "happy hours" at the end of each day of course). 

To begin, it was surreal to walk into a hotel check-in line and look around you and see the plethera of GEAR on those around you! Instantly, there were fellow Anderson Award recipients coming up and saying "Are you with REI too? I'm ____ from store____." 

It was also very entertaining to be recognized (from the Anderson Award App) as "the girl who drove across the country" even before I got to introduce myself.

The joy of just being there together, hearing about each other's stores and how long they have been with REI, and that shared passion for the outdoors amongst everyone was tremendous. And the "actual event" hadn't even started yet! 

Then there was THE WELCOME... None of the previous Anderson Awards winners from my store warned me, but even if I was warned, I don't think I would have expected that greeting at HQ. The number of people cheering and screaming and high-fiving and hugging you as you came off of the bus... Oh, and the cowbells (MORE COWBELL)! The emotions were overflowing. My cheeks were in pain from smiling/laughing so hard while my eyes were pooling with tears. Thank you for that, it set the tone perfectly for the rest of the events ahead.

From there we got to choose tours and talks to participate in. I got to take a tour of Headquarters campus, a tour of "the mothership" a.k.a. the REI Flagship store in Seattle (in which I got to climb the pinnacle there multiple times!), a tour of the Media Studio, and a talk about Women in Retail (Jerry Stritzke, REI's CEO sat in on that talk with us!!!! I got to just hang out with  and talk with Jerry!) Plus, just before dinner on Day 1 we had a "Let's Talk" event where we could ask any questions and get real answers from "the higher powers". The knowledge, the transparency, the honesty, the respect we all got from these sessions are beyond my ability to describe adequately in this blog.

Group "daypack" shot on Alki Beach

Oh, and of course, since it is REI and they are awesome they gave us a "PLAY DAY"

I chose "Outside Space, Urban Places" in which I got to explore West Seattle by riding a water taxi, walking thru an old growth forest, seeing the Alki beach/tidal pools, wine tasting, and visiting Pikes Place Market. All in a day's work at REI! 

Just a picture with Jerry, no big deal!

Plus, there was the stewardship activity in which all the Anderson Award people teamed up with Cheasty Greenspace to clean up an urban green space into an awesome outdoor space.  Many hands were involved in different "dirty" tasks.  I got to help with digging up weeds and the invasive plants that were smothering the native greens. (see the before, during, and after pictures)

 

It is amazing how much can get done in so little time with so many people who care!

"It's not about what IT IS. It's about what it can BECOME." -the lorax

The best part of all the action and wining and dining is that I got to enjoy these moments with some of the most spectacular people.  At the closing dinner, in a speech we were told "to keep our spark". I feel that the "sparks" from each person I met will burn in my heart for a long time after this event and it is my hope that I will ignite others with my own renewed spark as this year of adventure goes on.

So, one more time: THANK YOU!

<3 S