Field Notes
See the pictures, read on for the stories.
The latest Instagram pictures rotate through, along with links to their quick stories. But there’s so much more to tell. Some from our own experiences, others that are shared. From young to old, from local to international, the AdvenChair is making the rounds!
“The wild requires that we learn the terrain, nod to all the plants and animals and birds, ford the streams and cross the ridges, and tell a good story when we get home.”
—Gary Snyder
And the stories we can tell!
We love to share our news and yours. Have an AdvenChair story to tell?
ROLL BOLDLY Spring 2025
It has been a long time since the last AdvenChair eNewsletter. Almost a whole year, in fact. And that just goes to show how busy it has been for us for the past several months. Seems like there’s always something significant coming our way that is worth holding up the newsletter for.
Photo credit: Monique Trevett
Welcome!
Remember us?
It has been a long time since the last AdvenChair eNewsletter. Almost a whole year, in fact. And that just goes to show how busy it has been for us for the past several months. Seems like there’s always something significant coming our way that is worth holding up the newsletter for. But now, after a busy winter and before a hectic summer, we are taking a brief pause to share some of the great events and landmarks that have been keeping us preoccupied.
Among the stories in this newsletter, you can read all about AdvenChair’s collaboration with Wanderlust Tours. While preparing for the second year of AdvenTours a few weeks ago, leaders from both businesses took a break to attend the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism to receive a significant award.
You’ll learn how The Onward Project, the nonprofit behind the AdvenChair, has taken steps to become a 501(c)(3) and how our leadership team gathered with a handful of volunteers to build our next 10 AdvenChairs with the help of a loan from the UnTours Foundation.
You’ll also learn about the fourth production buildout which has brought six new AdvenChairs into use and enjoyment in various parts of the country, with four more chairs ready to roll.
Apart from that, we were very busy attending several conferences in Oregon and California, running in Ian’s Ride on the Olympic Discovery Trail in Washington, and kicking off a new partnership with Friends of the Columbia Gorge (see picture above), interspersed with many hikes in Central Oregon.
Yes, it has been quite a year since our last newsletter! And we can’t wait to see what unfolds before the next one.
Onward!
Geoff Babb
A big thank you to Lili Alpaugh and Cam Davis for their skillful writing of the stories that follow.
AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours receive the 2025 Oregon Partnership Award at Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
Photo credit: Travel Oregon
This past year the AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours have been collaborating in a partnership to provide professionally guided tours every month using AdvenChairs in some of Oregon’s most spectacular areas and trails. These AdvenTours have enabled many people with mobility challenges to access areas they would not otherwise be able to navigate.
The AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours were recently awarded The Oregon Partnership Award at The Governor’s Conference on Tourism held in Portland on April 14-16. The awards at this conference recognize outstanding achievement in state-wide tourism activities.
“It was a great surprise and honor to receive this award,” said Geoff. “The program has been extremely successful so far. When you see the smiles on the faces of people on these hikes, you know you’ve created a rewarding experience and Wanderlust Tours has been a dream to work with.”
Several volunteers also attended the conference with Geoff: Yvonne Babb (Geoff’s wife), John Hunsaker and his wife Julie, and Lili Alpaugh. They staffed the AdvenChair exhibit table that educated the public about the chair and AdvenTours.
“We made numerous contacts with people from all over Oregon and we’ll certainly follow up with them.” John said. “And Geoff receiving this award has been a terrific icebreaker.”
The collaboration between AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours was made possible by a tourism grant from Visit Central Oregon (which is part of The Oregon Tourism Commission, d/b/a Travel Oregon). A goal of Visit Central Oregon has been to promote inclusive and accessible hikes and this partnership has been just the ticket to accomplish that.
Courtney Braun, Co-Owner of Wanderlust Tours, commented, “People are beginning to understand that if we want to showcase the beauty of the outdoors in Oregon, then we need to make sure it includes everyone. These tours make it possible for a child with a disability, an elderly grandparent and everyone in between to hike together as a family, or with their friends.”
Geoff explained further, “Another wonderful benefit of the AdvenTours has been the community engagement and team experience inherent in using the AdvenChair. Everyone in the group on these hikes becomes an important part of the team that is navigating the wheelchair, enjoying nature themselves, and also witnessing those bright smiles on everyone’s faces.”
Photo credit: Marcia Volk
AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours reconnect for 2025 AdvenTours.
A collaboration between two outdoor industry pioneers that launched in 2024 and earned a prestigious award last week has been busy building on the foundation of their teamwork this year.
Thanks to a grant from Visit Central Oregon’s Future Fund, AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours, Central Oregon’s trailblazer in naturalist-guided adventures, combined to offer a successful series of “AdvenTours” last year. AdvenTours gave people of all ages with mobility challenges the chance to experience some of Oregon’s most inspiring natural places matching AdvenChair’s unmatched durability, safety, and comfort with Wanderlust’s unique style of education, interpretation, and environmental appreciation.
“Thanks to our AdvenTours, we have been able to extend our mission of getting people out into the natural world, regardless of their age or ability,” said Courtney Braun, Owner of Wanderlust Tours. “Geoff Babb and I were perfectly aligned with what we wanted to offer and our guides Jose and Jared were excited about the tours, because they were very fulfilling and rewarding.”
The Onward Project has taken the next step in its nonprofit journey.
The Onward Project, originally an LLC, has always had one mission: to inspire and enable those with mobility challenges to access and enjoy the healing tonic of nature through experiences, training, advocacy, and of course, equipment.
To fulfill this mission in the best possible way, we decided to apply for nonprofit status as a 501(c)(3) with the IRS. We obtained our Oregon registration as a Public Benefit Corporation (nonprofit in the state) in September 2024. Once we have been approved by the IRS, donations will be tax-deductible and we will be able to apply for grants.
Our plan for growth is to strengthen our relationships with partners, including Wanderlust Tours, Destination Rehab, Oregon State University-Cascades, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Friends of Outdoor School and others, while scaling our production to make the AdvenChair as available to as many people as possible.
In conjunction with our nonprofit status, we have assembled a new Board of Directors, a dynamic team of individuals with rich and diverse expertise. They bring decades of knowledge in nonprofit boards, sales, manufacturing, physical therapy, product design, entrepreneurial and wheelchair adventure experience:
Geoff Babb, Founder and Chairman; Rick Hetherington, Treasurer; Lili Alpaugh, Secretary; John Hunsaker, Board member; Timothy Gorbold, Board member; and Jamie Bianchini, Board member.
Photo credit: Don Hogeland
We have set up a DONATE button on our website, which makes donating easy. You can make a one-time donation or contribute every week, every month, or on an annual basis. We would greatly appreciate any financial support you can provide.
We have an immediate need for a 12 to 14-foot box trailer with a ramp to store and transport AdvenChairs to hikes and events.
Please consider making a donation today to support our operations as we await for our 501(c)(3) status. You’ll be giving more people the opportunity to experience the AdvenChair through hikes, events and other programs.
Regarding tax deductibility, until we receive our confirmation from the IRS, we can’t promise that any donation made in 2025 will be tax deductible on your 2025 taxes. (We can take donations now, however, since we are registered in the state of Oregon.) If you have any questions, please email us. Thank you so much.
We could use your help in other ways, too. If you have a specific skill or interest to lend, whether on the trail or in the office, we could use your help. Particularly, we are looking for someone with QuickBooks and/or HubSpot experience. Please contact us about volunteer opportunities.
We added 10 more chairs to our inventory.
And most are already spoken for.
Photo credit: Eleanor Moseman
“After four trips through the assembly process, it’s amazing to see how the camaraderie between the core members and volunteers gets better every time,” said AdvenChair Chairman Geoff Babb. “And that leads to better and better results.”
Rather than teams working on individual chairs, this time the group created an assembly line, which led to a more efficient workflow.
“The assembly line allowed us to do thorough inspections at critical stages on each chair,” said Jack Arnold, AdvenChair’s (and HeliLadder’s) Design Engineer and supervisor of the buildout. “So, if a mistake was made early in the build, we didn’t have to tear the whole chair apart and start over. We fixed it and moved on.”
Thanks to a loan from the UnTours Foundation, the team completed ten versions of what is known as AdvenChair 3.2 over the course of the weekend.
The 3.2 features important options such as:
A stiffer forward beam for more control over the front wheel.
An improved fiberglass seat mold and firmer cushion from Enabling Technologies for added comfort on long rides.
A mounting bracket for carrying a ventilator and/or a D-size oxygen tank for Camp Inspiration in New York for campers who require respiratory assistance.
“The best part about this buildout in particular is that we went in knowing that five chairs were already sold,” said Geoff. “And shortly afterward, a sixth was claimed by an outdoor school in San Luis Obispo, California that wanted a second chair for their kids. Currently, we are getting interest from across the country, as well as Europe. So I can’t thank our team enough for getting us ready for more AdvenChair adventures.”
Check out the energy of the weekend on this video.
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