Four Santa Fe groups get state Outdoor Marketing Grants

Mar. 11—Four Santa Fe entities collected a combined $80,000 in the first distribution of state Outdoor Marketing Grant funds from the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division.

In total, the division allotted $873,872 to 41 grantees across the state in a marketing campaign funded with one-time money from the American Rescue Plan Act in partnership with the New Mexico Tourism Department.

The Outdoor Recreation Division, since its creation in 2019, has awarded more than $18 million through its Outdoor Recreation Trails+, Outdoor Equity Fund and Outdoor Marketing Grant programs, which are designed to increase equitable access to the outdoors, especially for low-income youth.

Mountain Kids! was the first Santa Fe entity funded from the Outdoor Equity Fund in the first round of grants in 2020. Its $15,000 in marketing funding is the third Outdoor Recreation Division grant Mountain Kids! has received.

"To see the opportunities come to reach underserved kids who don't have access to the outdoors is incredible," said Katie Macauley, founder and director of Mountain Kids!, an outdoor adventure and education program. "Kids and parents have many fears about what can happen outside. We are building confidence and [helping with] overcoming fears."

Mountain Kids! will use its grant to create a video to publicize the organization. Macauley envisions showing the video at parent nights at Santa Fe schools, at fundraiser events for potential donors and, hopefully, during the legislative session to showcase the fund's importance.

The Santa Fe Conservation Trust's fourth Outdoor Recreation Division grant was a $15,000 marketing grant, which it will use to market its Vamonos Santa Fe Walks program that, since 2018, has offered 30 mostly after-work walks on in-town trails from May to October.

"The challenge is it's going for six months and you have to be in front of people's minds," said Sarah Noss, the trust's executive director. "We will be able to advertise throughout the six-month program."

The trust's previous outdoor grants funded the planning and design of a half-mile accessible trail to the Galisteo Basin Preserve trail system and took more than 640 fourth and fifth graders, mostly from the south side, on 35 field trips, Noss said.

"Pretty much across the board, the [grants] have funded programs to help people in all walks of life get out in nature," Noss said.

Glorieta Adventure Camps and Zia Rides will partner to use $20,000 in marketing grant funding to publicize a fall bike event at Glorieta.

The Santa Fe Century Committee received $30,000 at the upper end of the Outdoor Marketing Grants, which ranged from $10,000 to $30,000. The committee will use the grant to partner with Hutton Broadcasting for video and social media to promote the May 18-19 weekend of bike rides that include the 100-mile Century Ride, 50-mile Half Century Ride, a 20-mile ride and other rides.

The Century Ride weekend peaked a decade ago at 2,500 riders; the last two years have had 1,800 and 1,400 riders. The average age of riders is 60 to 65, committee director Hadji Corona said.

"We want to target younger riders," Corona said. "We want to approach more of the Latin community."