The Mountaineers Gala is a fun filled mission driven evening that brings together the Mountaineers community with area partners, sponsors, and outdoor enthusiasts for our largest fundraiser of the year. At the 2026 Gala we seek to raise $600,000 to support our nonprofit mission, programs and publishing. 

ABOUT THE NIGHT

COCKTAIL RECEPTION (5-7PM): The evening kicks off in Studio B of Fremont Studios with our cocktail reception. Our VIP ticketholders are invited to come as early as 5pm to enjoy specialty drinks and passed appetizers plus the opportunity to participate in our VIP Reception activations with our special guests. At 6pm all ticketholders are welcome and the reception continues with drinks, bites and an opportunity to socialize and peruse the live and silent auction packages that are set up in the room. You can pick up a nice bottle at our Wine Toss, take pictures in our photo booth and check out the Mountaineers stations set up around the room. 

DINNER (7PM): After the reception guests are invited into the ballroom to find their table and enjoy the three course dinner provided by Kaspars Catering.

We will do our best to make any dietary requests as indicated in Special Order notes on your ticket purchase. Dinner will be served with a selection of beverages from our beverage sponsors including Tinte Cellars, Georgetown Brewing, Ghostfish Brewing and Seattle Cider. We will also have non alcoholic beverages available.

MAIN PROGRAM (7-9PM): As guests enjoy dinner our program emcees will take the stage and our main program. The program includes our MAC RAC - where teams of our MAC students pursue glory in a high adrenaline Relay Adventure Challenge - followed by our live auction and our main fundraising engagement of the evening, Raise the Paddle. 

The program concludes with our the presentation of the Adventure with Purpose Award followed by a keynote address by our 2026 honoree, Erik Weihenmayer.

AFTER PARTY TOAST (9-10 PM): The evening concludes as guests can return to Studio B and mix and mingle at the After Party with dessert bites, beverages and an opportunity to celebrate and toast The Mountaineers 120 years!  

DINNER OPTIONS

This year's Gala dinner will be provided by Seattle's own Kaspars Catering. When registering for the event you will be ask to select one of the following Entrees, which contain details on all of the ingredients and dietary details. If you have specific dietary restrictions or allergies please list them in the Special Order notes during registration.

Choose from the following Entrees
Wild caught Pacific Northwest salmon with coconut-tomato-lime leaf sauce
served with ginger jasmine rice, baby bok choy and crispy rice noodles 
(Gluten Free)

Roasted chicken breast with sesame-tamari honey sauce
served with ginger jasmine rice, baby bok choy and crispy rice noodles 
(Gluten Free)

Cauliflower steak with coconut lentil sauce
served with paneer croutons and rainbow chard salad
(Vegetarian + Gluten Free)
Please note that the vegan option for this meal will sub the paneer croutons for tofu.

erik weihenmayer
2026 adventure with purpose honoree

We’re thrilled to be honoring Erik Weihenmayer with our 2026 Adventure with Purpose Award. In 2001, Erik stood on the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the first blind person to reach the top of the world. Since then, he has adventured around the globe summiting the Seven Summits, kayaking the entirety of the Grand Canyon, and taking on astonishing challenges that rival blind or sighted adventurers in ice climbing, rock climbing, backcountry skiing, and more. Beyond the mountains, Erik is the founder of No Barriers USA, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities tap into the human spirit, break barriers, and elevate their communities. Erik has been the subject of several award-winning documentaries about his accomplishments as a blind adventurer and is the author of several books.

Our Adventure with Purpose Award is The Mountaineers highest honor, recognizing individuals who embody our mission to LEAD, ENGAGE, and ADVOCATE. We are delighted to celebrate Erik for his exceptional leadership in the outdoors, and for inspiring people of all walks of life to get outside and live a life without barriers.

After the award presentation, Erik will deliver a keynote address, reflecting on his life and adventures with purpose. We look forward to honoring him at our Gala.

TICKETS

There are two ticket types for this year's Gala.

• VIP = $325
• General Admission = $250 

What are VIP tickets? VIP tickets give attendees early access to the Gala with a special VIP reception from 5-6pm. VIP ticketholders also have prime seating in the Gala ballroom for the main program along with a few extra perks such as access to our reserved parking lots and more.

What is a Sponsor an Impact Partner ticket? Help us bring more people to the Gala with the purchase of a ticket which will be given to our community partners, fellow non-profit leaders and attendees that could otherwise not attend. For this ticket please complete your information and we will transfer the ticket information after the fact. Thank you for your donation!

questions

If you have any questions about the Gala or ways to contribute you can always contact us at development@mountaineers.org or call 206-521-6022. 

Want to volunteer at the Gala? Please reach out to Community Events Coordinator Hannah Abebe at hannaha@mountaineers.org.