News for Immediate Release 
Oct. 4, 2022 
Contact: Katie McKalip, 406-240-9262, [email protected] 

Scholarship awards help young people with disabilities get outdoors by providing access to adaptive equipment or assistance with outdoor education 

MISSOULA, Mont. – Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is proud to invite applicants for the second year of the Aidan Long Outdoors for All Scholarship, a fund dedicated to help young people with disabilities get outdoors by providing access to adaptive equipment or assistance with outdoor education.  

The Outdoors for All scholarship is open to anyone ages 21 or younger to mitigate the expense of outdoor recreation and conservation education and to expand experiences and opportunities for people with disabilities via the purchase or temporary acquisition of adaptive recreation equipment. The fund was established through generous donations by businesses, friends and family of Aidan Long and BHA members.  

“Both the Long family and the BHA family are so inspired by the amazing kids and young adults who have applied for the scholarship in its first year,” said BHA Development Director Rachel Schmidt. “Through everyone’s support we were able to award numerous scholarships in 2022, and we look forward to doing the same in 2023. Nature is a healing force for every person, and we are proud to support everyone getting outdoors!” 

In 2022, three scholarships totaling $2000 were awarded to deserving recipients. They included a young paddler from Idaho who purchased a tandem kayak so he could paddle with his parents, a high school student from British Columbia who purchased a tandem bicycle for mountain biking, and an enthusiastic aspiring outdoorsman from Idaho who was able to camp for the first time last summer thanks to the purchase of a solar powered battery charger for his O2 consolidator.  

Details on the 2023 application and submission process are as follow: 

• $500-$1,000 scholarship to be awarded once per year 
• application period Oct. 1, 2022- Feb 28, 2023 
• email submissions to [email protected] with the subject line: Aidan Long/Outdoors For All Scholarship applicant 
• Applications, written or video, should include:  
  • name 
  • age 
  • location 
  • activity or gear you would like the scholarship to be applied to 
  • articulation of financial burden, if any (not required) 
  • why this young person wants to participate in this outdoor experience 
  • what does being outside mean to this young person and how does it make them feel and think 

• BHA’s North American Board of Directors will choose the recipient and scholarship winners will be notified March 2023. 

Aidan Nichols Long, 2004-2021, loved life and nature every day. Growing up in Montana his best times included camping, canoeing and fishing with his mom and dad, Karen Nichols and Ben Long. Despite catastrophic epilepsy, Aidan remained a joyful explorer of the natural world. The Outdoors for All Scholarship is a tribute to his joy by leveling the playing field for young people to enjoy exploring the outdoors. 

BHA is currently raising funds to make sure Aidan’s scholarship will continue to grow and provide opportunities for young people in the future. Support the Outdoors for All scholarship fund. 

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for our wild public lands, waters and wildlife.  

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