Dear VITAL Family,

The past couple weeks have been an ever-escalating blur of shock, anger, disgust, and sadness. First, the shock of yet another innocent black man being killed. Then anger at the continual abuse of power and lack of adequate police accountability. Disgust at a political system unable or unwilling to rise to the moment, incapable of bringing out the best in us as we confront this challenge. Sadness for our broken society.

The brutal deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others are heart-wrenching. We have been listening to voices from the black community and it has been a powerful reminder of just how far from a truly fair society we still are. We feel ashamed that it took yet another police killing to remind us of the harm our broken systems cause and how much work there’s left to do to create a just society. 

VITAL has always aspired to serve as a beacon in our community. We recognize that taking on this mantle of responsibility extends beyond our climbing walls, and it requires that we acknowledge and act on the perpetual injustices affecting our brothers and sisters. We strive to live this out with integrity, not just in singular moments, not just through convenient incantations of solidarity, but everyday - in how we treat each other as climbers, colleagues, and neighbors. 

We are the change that we seek. We know that we have work to do - to better understand our own privilege and biases, to identify the harm we cause when we passively accept the status quo, and to commit to specific actions that help create a more just and inclusive community. As a company, change starts from within. From leadership to management and staff, we are digging into what it means to enact sustained change in our individual lives and as a larger family. VITAL’s core identity and values have always been predicated on community. And as a community of thousands of climbers that call VITAL home, we can enact meaningful change.

We are committed to doing long-term good, so the programs and actions inspired in this moment will be a core part of our company going forward. Starting with our leadership team, we are putting both people and funding to work. We have initiated a program that mobilizes our team of over 100 staff: as part of their paid work week, staff will be able to volunteer at organizations of their choosing. Each person has different skills and passions, and we want to encourage and support how each of our staff chooses to engage with the movement for equity. But the VITAL team is just the tip of a much larger spear - our members. When safe to do so, we plan to mobilize our entire community by inviting you to work with us on important causes throughout the year.

We are having conversations about how we can increase our involvement with groups in our communities who support Black lives and other disadvantaged and marginalized people. As a climbing gym, we will provide additional funding and support to ensure that VITAL is accessible for all. We remain committed to ensuring that VITAL is a safe and welcoming space for everyone, no matter their race, religion, gender, background, or sexual orientation. 

We embrace these uncomfortable and inconvenient conversations as individuals who have a lot to learn. We are committed to listening to the community, accepting our mistakes, learning to be better allies, and implementing changes to our organization. Join us.

Black lives matter.

With much love,

Dave and Nam
Co-Founders