LEAP's 2026 year end campaign
Connection Moves Us Forward
Different journeys. A shared need for connection.
This season, youth and adults from our partner communities spent days on the Lower Salmon and Lower Deschutes together. They paddled, cooked, laughed, sat in circle, and looked out for one another. Your gift by December 31 makes the next season possible.
Help us reach our $40,000 goal by December 31
Every gift moves connection forward.
Jet's story, with Ukandu
The friendships that bring Jet back
Every August, Jet comes back to the river to see some of his closest friends. He found them through LEAP.
Jet first came to the Lower Salmon River in 2023 through our longtime partner Ukandu, which serves young people affected by childhood cancer. He was still in treatment, and treatment had cost him much of high school. On the river, he found his people.
“We wouldn’t miss our LEAP week for anything.”
Jet, Ukandu participant since 2023
Those friends have grown older and scattered across Oregon and Colorado. But every August, they protect the same week on their calendars so they can come back together through Ukandu and LEAP.
A LEAP program lasts only a few days. For Jet, the connection has lasted four summers.
Make your year end gift
Secure giving through Give Lively. LEAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and your gift is tax deductible as allowed by law. You can also give by mail, phone or stock on our Ways to give page.
What your gift supports
That’s what your gift makes possible: a place where connection can last. Your year end gift supports:
- Skilled guides
- Thoughtful facilitation
- Equipment
- Time in nature that allows confidence, trust, and connection to grow
Different journeys. A shared need for connection.
Stories from this season, in the words of the people who were there. Each one opens here as it's shared on social media and in our emails.
What participants carry forward
Adversity can disrupt connection. On the river, LEAP creates the conditions to reconnect with self, others, and nature.
- Greater well-being
- Stronger relationships
- Increased self-efficacy
- Deeper connection to nature
- An expanded sense of possibility
I can do hard things. I belong.
Thank you to our 2026 partners
Edison High School · Legacy Oregon Burn Center · OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital · Ukandu