Roots To Peaks and RiseUP: Building Connection for Colorado Youth

A young person’s place in a community should not depend on how easily they fit into an existing activity, classroom, or group. At RiseUP, we want more opportunities for people to be welcomed, understood, and included. That is the connection we see with Roots To Peaks, one of our September 2026 Elevation Challenge partners.

This collaboration invites Colorado supporters to connect a personal movement goal with a wider purpose: helping community organizations introduce their work to new people and raise support for it. You do not need to know a young person’s story to believe that they deserve encouragement and belonging.

Meet Roots To Peaks

Based in Colorado Springs, Roots To Peaks describes a mission centered on outdoor adventure, mentorship, and support for young people who have experienced trauma. Its About Us page outlines plans for guided experiences such as hiking, camping, fishing, and climbing as it prepares to launch its programming.

The organization’s vision gives our community a reason to look beyond the activity itself. A trail can be the setting for an invitation, a shared challenge, or time spent listening. Supporting that vision is about investing in opportunities for young people to participate, rather than expecting every young person to follow the same path.

Where our missions connect

Roots To Peaks and RiseUP have distinct services and audiences. The connection is a shared commitment to making room for individual needs and meaningful community experiences, not a claim that trauma and intellectual or developmental disabilities are the same.

For families exploring specialized educational support, RiseUP School in Colorado Springs offers individualized learning, social development, and life-skills opportunities. Across our broader organization, we want people to have opportunities to contribute and pursue their interests.

Through the Elevation Challenge, a person who first discovers Roots To Peaks can also learn about RiseUP, and a RiseUP supporter can discover a youth-focused mission they had not encountered before. That exchange of introductions is one of the most practical benefits of this partnership.

Turn your September goal into an invitation

The RiseUP Elevation Challenge runs September 1-30, 2026. Participants can work toward 5,000 feet of elevation or 15 miles of distance, moving in a way that fits the challenge guidelines and their circumstances. Walk, hike, run, climb, stroll, or roll; the goal builds throughout the month.

When you register, choose Roots To Peaks from the participating nonprofit options to direct your partner fundraising support. Under the campaign’s published model, half of the proceeds raised through your participant page support the nonprofit you select.

A family, workplace, or friend group could make this especially personal. Choose a shared reason for participating, invite people to set their own movement goals, and post a weekly update explaining why youth connection matters to you. Those are ways to make the fundraising invitation more meaningful than sharing a registration link alone.

Share the purpose, not just the progress

Your fundraising page can answer three useful questions: What are you doing? Why does this cause matter to you? How can someone help? Add your own reason for supporting youth opportunities, then share the page by text, email, or social media.

For a starting point, use our fundraising and outreach tips. You can ask for a donation without pressure and welcome people who would rather share the page or encourage your team.

Support from Colorado Springs, Denver, or your own neighborhood

You do not need to attend a partner program or travel to a particular mountain to support the campaign. Someone in Denver can encourage a Colorado Springs fundraiser. A coworker can share a participant’s page. A family can contribute without completing a movement goal.

Explore the Elevation Challenge and current ways to participate, or learn more about Roots To Peaks. Together, we can introduce more people to the organizations working toward a more connected Colorado