First Descents
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| Founded | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Brad Ludden |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Focus | Humanitarian[1] |
| Location | |
Region served | United States, Costa Rica, Peru, Vietnam, Patagonia, and Bali[2] |
| Product | Outdoor adventures for cancer fighters |
Key people | Ryan O'Donoghue (Executive Director) |
| Revenue | $1,906,780 (2012)[3] |
| Employees | 11–50[1] |
| Website | FirstDescents.org |
First Descents (FD) is a charitable non-profit organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado.[4] Brad Ludden, a professional kayaker, founded First Descents in 2001.[5]
First Descents has served around 10,000 young adult survivors at over 1,000 programs nationwide.[6] First Descents has been recognized by CNN Heroes[7] and Outside magazine's Best Places to Work.[8]
When Brad Ludden was 12, and his 38-year-old aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, he decided to volunteer at a local pediatric oncology program and teach kayaking.[9] In 2001, he started First Descents.[10]
In 2016, Ludden won the CNN Hero Award for his work with First Descents.[7][11]
In 2020, First Descents expanded programming to serve healthcare professionals on the frontlines of COVID-19.[12][9]
Programs
First Descents provides week-long and multi-day programs nationwide.[9] The programs offer climbing, paddling, and surfing.[13]
In 2011, First Descents offered 27 outdoor programs, and 283 people participated. In 2012, the number of outdoor programs grew to 45, and the number of participants was 515.[3] In 2013, First Descents ran programs in 12 states and three countries.[14]
