Unexpected Gifts From Painful Experiences....

Nate FotorSometimes the most unexpected gifts come from the most painful experiences.  As many of you know, our dear friend and co-instructor, Nathan Bliss, unexpectedly passed in late April. The loss has been difficult. He was a talented instructor with great wit and humor and a huge heart for kids. He was known for digging deep and giving it his all to ensure that students received the best from him. At services and celebrations, we met people and heard story after story from across the decades of his life, affirming our experiences of his special qualities. While we would trade it all to have Nate and his crazy antics back Earthside, we are grateful for the gifts he left behind for us. Unexpected joys in the deep loss....


Some of these gifts come from Nate's family and his good friends, Frankie and Kara Cecchinelli, founders and owners of Figidini's Wood Fired Eatery in Providence, Rhode Island.


Frankie and Kara 2_Fotor


A bit of the backstory.... Upon the restaurant's grand opening four years ago, true to form, Nate drove to Providence, Rhode Island ensuring that he was the first customer to give the first dollar to support his friends.  The signed dollar has hung in the restaurant since that day.  On the drive home from Nate's services Frankie and Kara asked themselves the inevitable questions one asks with loss. The idea was formed to make a donation to Outside Perspectives in Nate's honor. On their restaurant's anniversary, shortly after Nate passed, Frankie and Kara hosted a week where a percentage of all their profits would go to Outside Perspectives.


Several months ago, Nate had set a date on the calendar to hike up Bear Mountain and to one of his favorite waterfalls with Kara and Frankie. Kara decided that she would 18556990_824539274371257_5573315100567024440_nkeep the date and invited a few of Nate's friends and family to join her and Frankie. At the waterfall, Kara presented the very generous Figidini donation check of nearly $4,000 to the Outside Perspectives Nathan Bliss Memorial Scholarship Fund!  The fund will provide scholarships for groups of youth who otherwise would not be able to afford to participate in a Wilderness Expedition.


A truly significant and special day had evolved from Nate's plan to take Kara on a hike. The most powerful experiences are difficult to put into words. What can be said is that the day was felt deeply -- full with laughter, tears, freezing cold waterfall plunges, new friendships, sushi, and enough sunshine to keep our faces to the sky. We felt Nate present with us celebrating our gathering.  It was just the type of day, with just the type of group, that he would have loved to have been a part of.


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Thank you to Frankie and Kara and Figidini's. Just as meaningful as their generous financial support are the new friendships we have with them.  They are delightful people with big hearts. We look forward to spending time with them in the future and taking them up on their offer to volunteer with us. Because of their support, we now have the opportunity to fund an expedition for Charter Oaks Boxing Academy (COBA) located in inner city Hartford later this summer! We know that Nate would have been psyched at the opportunity to work with such a great organization as COBA. They are fully onboard with the value and power of experiences in the outdoors. The COBA program is transformational for many of the youth who participate; combined, we believe we can do incredible work together!


We are so deeply thankful for the generosity we have received from Nate's family as well.  In lieu of flowers, Nate's family named Outside Perspectives as the donation recipient. We thank all of those who donated over the past two months. The Nathan Bliss Memorial Fund will be used exclusively to serve youth.  We take this responsibility very seriously and will continue to honor Nate through supporting youth as he did so brilliantly.


With sincere thanks -- Nicky and Shannon


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