A partnership between NMU and alumni-owned Blackrocks Brewery began last year with the launch of a new beer, Wildcat Gold, to celebrate NMU's 125th anniversary. It has since morphed into much more, supporting student access to the area's world-class recreational trails. As of August, Blackrocks has contributed $7,500 from the sales of Wildcat Gold to NMU's Outdoor Recreation Center for the purchase of mountain bikes and Nordic ski equipment made available to students for free.
“I think opening up opportunities for more students to try these activities really falls in line with our business' culture,” said Andy Langlois ’95 BS, co-owner of Blackrocks.
We're really outdoor-oriented, appreciating what the Marquette area offers and getting out ourselves to enjoy it. The outdoors is enriching for everybody, including students who are maybe coming up from places where they don't have this type of environment or the equipment to make the most of it.
"The response to Wildcat Gold was incredible—we sold out right away and ended up doing three different runs throughout the year. It's great to be involved with NMU in some way after all these years since going to school there.”
Thirty-one pairs of cross-country skis arrived on campus last winter, and the mountain bikes followed over the summer.
“Getting this new equipment has really opened a lot of doors for a lot of students,” said Avery Case, student manager of NMU's Outdoor Recreation Center. “For me personally, I had never cross-country skied before. This was the first year I got to do it and I loved it; it was awesome. I brought my friends and a lot of them enjoyed it, too. And then we started doing drop-in cross-country skiing to get more people out on the trails, to kind of get their foot in the door of something they maybe never tried before. The support of local businesses means the world to us, and definitely creates a bigger sense of community here at Northern.”
The NMU Outdoor Recreation Center, located near the PEIF climbing wall, rents a variety of outdoor equipment to students, visitors and community members. Options in addition to skis and bikes include camping gear, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and snowshoes.
NMU Interim President Gavin Leach, fourth from left, and Blackrocks' Steve Farr ’09 BS, ’12 MBA, David Manson and Andy Langlois '95 BS, center, are pictured with NMU students and staff showing some of the bikes and skis purchased through the partnership.
— By Kristi Evans
