L.L.Bean Partners with YMCA to Ensure All Kids Can Attend Summer Camp
$750,000 donation distributed to Ys across the country
Freeport, Maine — In an effort to increase children’s access to outdoor recreation, L.L.Bean has donated $750,000 to YMCA of the USA (Y-USA). The funds were used to provide scholarships to children in underserved communities at over 60 YMCA camps across the country.
“Our purpose is to inspire and enable people to experience the restorative power of being outside,” said Shawn Gorman Executive Chairman and great-grandson of L.L.Bean. “The stresses of the last few years have made outdoor time even more important, particularly for our youth and the Y’s commitment to fostering a love of the outdoors for children of all communities is something we are thrilled to be able to support.”
Each summer, the Y runs nearly 1,500 day camps and offers more than 200 overnight camps for kids and teens, serving hundreds of thousands of kids and teens each year, and providing them the opportunity to make new friends, learn new skills, and interact with nature. “The Y believes that the camp experience is transformational—one that every child should experience,” says Paul McEntire, chief operating officer at Y-USA. “This donation ensures that young people—regardless their background or circumstances—have access to a Y camp where they will thrive as they build friendships and develop their love of the outdoors.”
About L.L.Bean:
L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. Still family owned, Shawn Gorman, great grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2013. While its business has grown over the years, L.L.Bean continues to uphold the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. In 2021, L.L.Bean donated $6.2 million to outdoor and community-enriching organizations focused on increasing access to and inclusivity in the outdoors. L.L.Bean operates 56 stores in 19 states across the United States, along with 24 stores in Japan and eight stores in Canada in partnership with Jaytex Group. The 220,000-sq. ft. L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at www.llbean.com, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.
About the Y
Driven by its founding mission, the Y has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community for more than 175 years. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y’s goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities nationwide. Learn more at ymca.org.