Every year, our team members are given four paid days of Purpose time to give back to any organization that they want to show support. Giving back is both fulfilling and supports the communities around us. Recently, our Senior Marketing Manager, Tony Wilson, spent some time in the great outdoors, using some Purpose time to volunteer with his son's Boy Scout troop. Hear from Tony below as he shares his experiences as a camp leader and how his Purpose time led to a rewarding camping trip. 

Camp Lassen (Near Lassen Volcanic National Park) gives youth the opportunity to hike, fish, swim, boat, climb, bike, and most importantly, create memories that last a lifetime. Recently I was given the opportunity to participate and help at my son’s Cub Scout camp and found it extremely rewarding.

The emotions this year were even more amplified due to COVID-19 last year as Camp Lassen was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. Every kid just seemed happy to be out in the wild, even while enduring the sweltering heat. As an attending parent, I helped in facilitating activities such as creating STEM vehicles and panning for “gold” nuggets.

For some of the kids at camp, experiencing a summer camp that is primarily outdoors and rooted in the forest wilderness of the Sierra Nevadas, is like taking a spaceship to another planet. The skills that they learn and the activities that they participate in are nothing like they have experienced before. You can see the excitement and wonder brimming from the expression on their faces, as they navigate this new terrain.

Every child also learns the valuable lesson of pitching in for the community. As a group, we cleaned bathrooms and showers. We also collected dishes and silverware after dinner and learned how to sanitize them en-masse via a commercial sanitizer. 

Camp Lassen ends with each Cub Scout pack performing skits on stage in front of all their friends they made during camp. After the laughter and raucous applause subsides, the Camp Director asks everyone to stand and recognize those that served our country proudly. Then, the tears start flowing on every child’s face. They understand that they will go back to the towns where they are from and might not see their new friends for another year. Camp is over, but the memories will always be there, and coming back every year just creates a new chapter in their lives that will ultimately last a lifetime. 

I feel extremely lucky that Sequoia gave me this opportunity to help enrich these kids’ lives at Camp Lassen. Some of the parents were unable to attend due to the fact that they could not afford to miss time at work. Since Sequoia allowed me to use my paid Purpose Hours to attend camp, not only was I able to create lifelong memories with my son during the workweek, but I was also able to help those that were missing their parents at camp as well. Giving back to our communities is a core belief that I share with Sequoia, so this was very special to me and it created immense value in my eyes.