Adventure-a-thon

Once upon a time, when the boys of a village would reach a certain age, the elders would deem them ready for initiation as full, adult members of their community.

Twice each year, the Boys to Men Mentoring Network of Minnesota puts on a massive event in the woods, inviting teenage boys from 13-17 years old to experience their own initiation into adulthood.

Each spring and fall, approximately 50 men and teenagers converge on Voyageur Environmental Center in Mound, Minnesota. They will work hard for three straight days and forego full nights of sleep in order to create a magical, mysterious Rites of Passage Experience for a group of roughly a dozen teenagers new to the organization.

There will be sweat, tears, and mud. There will be fear and joy, chaos and caring.

This Rites of Passage Experience has been described as "life-changing" by a number of the participants and their families. Men and teenagers have traveled from as far away as Bermuda to participate.

At the end of the weekend, we'll all return home, exhausted and changed, and we hope to discover that we've met our fundraising goal of $5,000 - enabling us to continue working with these boys and expanding our program until our next Rites of Passage Adventure in the fall.

You can support us in our efforts by making a donation in any amount - AND by sharing this invitation with your family, friends and co-workers, to spread the word of this organization and to help our community grow.