Today is the launch of Passports With Purpose, the fundraiser by travel bloggers to support projects in the developing world. Last year, PWP raised $30,000 to build a school in Cambodia and this year, the goal is to raise $50,000 to build a village in India.
The beneficiary of this year’s project is Land for Tillers’ Freedom (LAFTI), a nonprofit organization focused on changing the conditions of the Dalit caste in India (also known as India’s “untouchables”). LAFTI’s mission is to liberate Dalit women and their families through projects such as land distribution and cultivation, housing construction, adult training and youth education. LAFTI works with the government and financial institutions to purchase land for Dalit families. Each house costs approximately $2,000 to build.
Win a Snow Angel $250 Gift Certificate
When I was a kid, thermal “underwear” amounted to white waffle-weave cotton tops and bottoms. They were bulky, definitely not pretty and certainly didn’t work when they got wet. As I got older, performance-style thermals got better in terms of fabric choice, but were rarely cut for a woman’s body. Sure, women’s styles were offered in Pepto-pink (gee, thanks), but the performance was pretty wimpy compared to what dudes got.
I’ve been sporting some Snow Angel base-layer clothing for a few months now, and it’s exactly what I wished for all those years ago. There are different weights—from Cybersilk to Minx—and styles range from tank tops to leggings to hooded jackets. Depending on your personal style, you can go plain urban black and gray, or mix it up with a plaid print, jewel tones, or fashionable graphic.
For Passports With Purpose, Snow Angel has kindly offered a $250 gift certificate, in order to shop for your favorite items and put together a new performance-style wardrobe. Whether you use them for walking around the neighborhood, zipping down triple-black-diamond ski runs, or extra layering for hiking excursions—you’ll have a selection of super-comfortable and cool-looking clothing.
I’ve reviewed a couple of my Snow Angel items for the San Francisco Chronicle Travel section, so check those out for more information on how much I really like the clothing:
Snow Angel Cybersilk Zip T-Neck Top and V-Waist Legging
Snow Angel Veluxe Scoop Neck Top
I’m not the only PWP blogger who’s a fan of Snow Angel—Michelle Duffy, aka WanderMom, took some Snow Angel items on her recent trip through the Andes in Peru and Ecuador. Take a look at her review for another hearty endorsement. And here’s a look at Michelle modeling her Snow Angel gear…
How You Can Donate and Win
Beginning today, (Nov. 15, 2010) the Passports With Purpose website will show a list of all the prizes available, and each one will link back to a full description of the prizes on the blogger’s website. For each $10 in donations that you make to LAFTI, you’ll be entered to win a prize (or prizes) of your choice.
The fundraiser closes on Dec. 13 and all proceeds go directly to LAFTI. You can donate $10 for the prize of your choice, multiples of $10 for one favorite prize if you want to increase your chances, or $10 or more for several different prizes. You can also make a donation as a gift on behalf of someone else.
Thank You
A huge thank you to Snow Angel for donating the gift certificate and caring about the project. Thanks also go to PWP sponsors: BootsnAll, LiveMocha, Round the World with Us, HomeAway, Traveller’s Point, Hostelling International, Quintess, Raveable, TravelPost and UpTake.
Finally, thanks to the founders of Passports With Purpose: Beth Whitman, Debbie Dubrow, Michelle Duffy and Pam Mandel, the bloggers behind Wanderlust and Lipstick, Delicious Baby, WanderMom and Nerd’s Eye View.