STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLO. (June 25, 2025) – Local non-profit organization Friends of Wilderness has teamed up with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps to help celebrate FOW’s 25th Anniversary to be held in downtown Steamboat Springs, CO, at Howelsen Hill’s Olympian Hall Aug. 7. 

Friends of Wilderness’s 25th anniversary event celebrates two and a half decades working with its longstanding partner the US Forest Service in protecting nearby wilderness areas. The event will also celebrate the creation of the Elaine & Win Dermody Endowment Fund, established to benefit the partnership with RMYC in honor of the Dermodys’ 25 years of dedication assisting the USFS in managing and preserving the nearby Mr. Zirkel, Flattops, and Sarvis Creek Wilderness Areas through volunteerism. The event will also pay special tribute to FOW founder Elaine Dermody, a longtime champion and supporter of wilderness access and RMYC. 

FOW partners with the USFS by volunteering as Wilderness ambassadors, performing trail maintenance, monitoring campsites and fire ring rehabilitation, removing invasive noxious weeds, and encouraging Leave No Trace practices. To further celebrate these efforts, in July, the Routt County Board of County Commissioners will pass a resolution officially declaring August 7 as Friends of Wilderness Day, encouraging all community members and visitors to enjoy Routt County’s three wilderness areas: Mt. Zirkel, Sarvis Creek, and Flat Tops.

“We created the Elaine and Win Dermody Endowment Fund to honor our parents’ tireless efforts in support of our local wilderness and their hard boots-on-the-ground work,” said daughter Shelly Dermody. “They raised us and our children with a strong sense of duty to maintaining and preserving our natural spaces.”

The purpose of the Elaine and Win Dermody Endowment Fund is to provide funding for one week of RMYC youth to work alongside FOW volunteers in service of USFS projects annually. FOW also has its own endowment fund, created to assist the US Forest Service in managing and protecting wilderness areas in the Routt National Forest and parts of the White River National Forest, including providing public information; improving campsites, trails and signage; encouraging Leave No Trace practices; and more.

“Friends of Wilderness has provided educational resources and worked on cooperative trail maintenance projects with RMYC for the past twenty years,” added FOW board spokesperson Hank Langhals. “Working hand-in-hand with RMYC, FOW has assisted with preserving wilderness characteristics while providing safe access to some of our most cherished public lands. We look forward to continued cooperation with RMYC on future projects in all our local wilderness areas.” 

Everyone is invited to the event celebrating FOW’s anniversary and the creation of Aug. 7 as Friends of Wilderness Day. The family-friendly celebration will include light snacks, a photo booth, a visit from Smokey Bear, and more (please RSVP by July 23 to shellyfriendsofwilderness@gmail.com).

About FOW: Friends of Wilderness is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that partners with the U.S. Forest Service in managing and protecting the Wilderness and backcountry lands of the Routt National Forest and adjacent national forests. For more information visit www.friendsofwilderness.org.

About RMYC: Rocky Mountain Youth Corps engages the strength and potential of youth and young adults to make a difference in themselves and their community through meaningful service opportunities, educational experiences, and group recreational activities. RMYC strives to meet the needs of the communities of northwest Colorado and southern Wyoming by offering a variety of programs and services for youth ages 11-35 years. For more information visit www.RockyMountainYouthCorps.org.