The Canoe and Hiking club is a fantastic student resource that allows many students to experience outdoor recreation for an incredibly affordable price. Students could pay $50 dues for the entire year and can go on as many trips as the club hosts with free access to gear from the University of Tennessee Outdoor Program (UTOP). As of this month, the University has decided “they do not recognize [past] agreements with clubs.” This means the club no longer gets free gear rentals from UTOP as we have for so many years. The club has also been prohibited any access to the whitewater rafts UTOP owns as it had in the past. Since free gear rental is no longer an option, the club is attempting to raise money to buy as much gear as possible to avoid raising dues to pay for gear rental. The club is in great need of donations specifically for tents, sleeping bags, paddles, helmets, and climbing gear. Below is a link to our GoFundMe with even more information. Any donations are greatly appreciated. If you are unable to donate please share this letter to help us spread the word! Thank you!

History: The UT Canoe and Hiking Club is one of the oldest sport clubs at the University of Tennessee. For many years was the only source of outdoor recreation for students. The club started in 1968, and, over the decades, students collected a vast amount of outdoor equipment. As a club, we have made many contributions to the university outdoor community, including the funding and construction of an on campus climbing wall (VOLwall) in the 1990’s. In 2003, the University created UTOP and partnered with The Canoe and Hiking Club to provide the initial gear investment. The club would allow UTOP to use all of its gear for UTOP trips and also handed over control of the climbing wall. In exchange, UTOP would maintain the gear and allow the Club to use it and any gear acquired in the future for free. The Canoe and Hiking Club and UTOP worked well together until recently.

Recent Changes: At the beginning of this semester, the university decided “they do not recognize agreements with clubs.” They have used this as justification to deny the club free access to the gear it had previously agreed to let us use. They have also removed the club’s access to some gear entirely, including whitewater rafts and canoes. The university has returned some of the gear that was part of the original agreement donation. However, in the weeks leading up to informing us of these decisions, they destroyed or surplused a majority of the remaining agreement gear, including several canoes and whitewater kayaks as well as the club’s canoe trailer. Additionally, the university has decided The Canoe and Hiking Club would no longer be allowed to store our canoes on campus, forcing us to remove them and find storage elsewhere. Currently, there is no permanent storage solution and they are being stored at a member’s apartment.  The university has imposed massive regulations on the club’s ability to take trips, and our club exclusively. In order for the club to take any trips we must pay thousands of dollars in order to obtain Wilderness First Aid and Swiftwater Rescue certificates for both our student members as well as our non-student volunteers. Obviously, the club cannot afford this change, which effectively prohibits the club from taking any trips. So how can you help?

Write letters: The club is currently escalating this issue outside of RecSports, and is working with Director of Student Engagement (and hopefully soon with the Dean of Students). We would love to encourage these people to support the club with a huge stack of letters from our alumni, detailing their personal experiences with the club and how important it is for it to remain a part of life on campus.

• Director of Student Engagement Address

Jordan Smith

915 Volunteer BLVD

2227 Dunford Hall

Knoxville, TN 37996-4020

Phone: (865) 974-5455

• Dean of Students Address

Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor & Dean of Students

413 Student Services Building

Knoxville, TN 37996

Donate: As a result of these changes, the club must raise significant funds to continue to function. To bring the club back to full operation, we are looking to purchase the following:

• 20 sets of Paddling Gear (PFDs, Paddles, Wetsuits, Helmets)

• 2 Canoes

• 2 White Water Rafts

• Canoe Trailer (for 8 canoes)

• Storage Shed (at least 10’ x 16’)

• Camping Gear

• 15 Tents

• 25 Sleeping Bags

• 25 Sleeping Pads

• 10 Backpacks

• Cooking Equipment

Here is a link to our GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/Canoe-Hiking-Club). Any donations are greatly appreciated. You may also send the club a donation through our Venmo (@UT-Canoe-Hiking) or with a check to:

Canoe & Hiking Club

960 Riverside Forest Way

APT 8

Knoxville, TN

37915

Spread the word: Please help us spread the word to other alumni and friends of The Canoe and Hiking Club. The club does not have detailed lists of alumni so you are our best resource in getting in touch with as many as possible. Please forward this email to club alumni you know and share our Facebook post here. (https://www.facebook.com/goodrickk/posts/10207764905984533?pnref=story)

Storage: If you have an idea for a permanent or temporary solution for our storage problem, please let us know. We currently have a couple rafts in one member’s apartment, six canoes in another, and whitewater / camping gear scattered around several others. We are currently working with Ijams nature center to try and work out a storage solution, but if you are able to help in any way please let us know.

Stay in touch: We want to stay in touch with you all to share the progress of the club moving forward. If you want to keep up with the club, please fill out this Google form, and we will be sure you stay up to date with the club. (https://goo.gl/forms/pLEvkxrAAzOneApI3)

If there’s anything else you can help the club with, please get in touch with us through the Google form.

Thank you for all of your support!