Children & Nature Effort Gets Big Boost at White House

REI Chief Talks Children and Nature in Meeting with Obama

Seattle Times – May 17, 2009
By Rami Grunbaum

REI Chief Executive Sally Jewell was sailing with her husband, Warren, off Port Townsend last Sunday when their daughter Anne reached her via cellphone with a bit of unexpected news.

"Mom, the White House just called," she begins. "Apparently, the president would like to meet with you on Tuesday. Just thought you should know."

Jewell laughs as she retells the story Tuesday afternoon just before a return flight to Seattle from D.C., where she had spent an hour discussing health-care costs with Obama and a handful of other business leaders.

Speaking to reporters, Obama saluted REI for providing health insurance to part-time as well as full-time employees, saying the Kent-based retailer can afford to do that because of innovative programs meant to make its work force healthier.

Jewell contributed $2,300 to Obama's presidential campaign last summer. But she suspects that her involvement with the Outdoor Industry Association — on whose behalf she made an earlier trip to D.C. — had more to do with her being there than anything else.

Before leaving the White House, Jewell gave Obama two "Passport to Adventure" envelopes, one each for his daughters, Malia and Sasha. Aimed at kids 5 to 12 years old, the packages include an adventure journal, information about local hiking and bike trails, games, outdoor tips and stickers. REI created the Passport program several years ago in hopes of stimulating childhood interest in the outdoors, despite their generation's fascination with such indoor pursuits as computers and video games.

Jewell also gave Obama a copy of the book "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder," a recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal.

"He said, 'I've heard of this book. This is good. Thank you,' " Jewell recalls.