Kampgrounds of America (KOA) joined the Outbound Collective, a community-driven online platform, to help save business at the nation’s first Black-owned outdoor gear shop, Slim Pickins Outfitters.
Founded in 2017, Slim Pickins has been what KOA stated is a community mainstay and positivity beacon in Stephenville, Texas, a town with a population of 21,000. The store’s owners, Jahmicah and Heather Dawes, have been a fixture within the community, KOA stated. Slim Pickins is the town’s go-to outdoor goods and services provider.
“Slim Pickins Outfitters exists to diversify the outdoors, and we do that by being a relevant space for our community, our culture, for the creative outdoor enthusiast,” Jahmicah Dawes said.
The initiative includes a 15-minute film, titled “Slim Pickins” and produced in partnership with Seattle-based film production company Wondercamp. The film highlights Jahmicah and Heather discussing their struggles to keep the family business afloat in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released Feb. 8 as part of the #EveryoneOutside series presented by fitness shoe supplier HOKA ONE ONE.
A fundraiser and virtual panel event will also back the initiative. Outbound Collective, with the support of KOA, Wondercamp and JAM Collective, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help clear Slim Pickins’ debt caused by the pandemic.
“What we are trying to do, simply put, is to get more people that look like me out into these outdoor spaces,” Heather Dawes said. “Support us and help us diversify the outdoors.”
KOA stated its goal to help provide Heather and Jahmicah a firm foundation to continue building their vision of a more diverse and inclusive outdoor industry.
