named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Annual Daniel Barden Mudfest
Obstacle course race featuring timed 5-mile and 5K runs, untimed 5K, and a kids' fun run, combined with a music festival and vendor village
Daniel Barden Adventure Scholarship
Provides eighth-grade students from central New York and Connecticut with an all-expenses-paid 8-day canoe and camping adventure in the Adirondacks to develop perseverance, teamwork, physical fitness, and mental wellness
Highland Games
Exhibition of strength events including Caber Toss and Stone Put, open to spectators and participants, held during the Mudfest event
activities · 4 groups
What they do
-
Organized Running and Triathlon Events 3 activities
- Host and operate annual Mudfest obstacle race eventOrganizes an annual mud run obstacle course event featuring hills, custom-built obstacles, and teamwork challenges, held at locations including MKJ Farm in Deansboro, NY, and Mountain Marshall Resort. The event includes timed and untimed 5K options open to participants of all fitness levels.
- Host post-event community gatherings and spectator activitiesHosts a post-race celebration with live music, food, and drinks, including a barn party and community gathering that follows a ceremonial remembrance of Daniel Barden, fostering community engagement for participants and families.
- Organize event logistics, safety, and volunteer operationsCoordinates event infrastructure including water stations, trained course volunteers for injury response, parking donation collection, and volunteer teams to cheer runners, rebuild obstacles, and guide participants. Also designs and constructs custom obstacles for the Mudfest course.
-
-
Youth Outdoor & Conservation Education Scholarships 2 activities
- Administer Barden Adventure Scholarship and donor designation programAwards the Barden Adventure Scholarship, providing $90,262 in funding to support outdoor experiences for young people, and enables scholarship recipients to designate charities to receive matching funding from Mudfest proceeds, empowering 16 students annually to support causes of their choice.
- Provide youth-focused obstacle course and leadership programmingOperates a 1/2 mile obstacle course for children ages 5–11 and runs the Barden Adventure Scholarship program, which selects students for an all-expenses-paid 8-day canoe and camping trip in the Adirondack Mountains focused on leadership, teamwork, physical fitness, and life skills development, in partnership with Clark Sports Center.
-
-
Charitable Grantmaking to Specific Causes 1 activity
- Fund charitable organizations through event proceedsFunds grants to charitable organizations using proceeds from the annual Mudfest event, including a $25,000 donation to Sandy Hook Promise and over $440,000 collectively contributed to Sandy Hook Promise and other local nonprofits since inception.
-
-
Volunteer Fire Department Support 1 activity
- Support local emergency services through parking donationsCollects parking donations during the Mudfest event and directs 100% of proceeds to local Fire and EMS Departments, supporting emergency service organizations in the host communities.
-
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$76K
Contributions & grants$76K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$75K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$31K
balance sheet
Total assets$4K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$4K
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue -6.4%
relationships · 16
Who they work with
- Central New York Network — Hosts large-scale community events positioned as key regional attractions.
- Clark Sports Center Partner — Coordinated the Barden Adventure program in Cooperstown, NY.
- Clark Sports Center Partner — Coordinates the Barden Adventure program for scholarship recipients in Cooperstown, NY.
- Daniel Barden Partner — Event is created in memory of Daniel Barden, a first-grade student killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.
- Hamilton College men's hockey team Partner — Supporter of the Daniel Barden Mudfest and the Barden Adventure Scholarship.
- Jessica Poyer Partner — Volunteer Coordinator for Daniel Barden Annual Mudfest Inc
- Mountain Marshall Resort Partner — Host venue for the Daniel Barden Mudfest event.
- Pepsi Partner — Corporate sponsor of the Daniel Barden Mudfest event.
- PepsiCo Partner — Main sponsor of the Annual Daniel Barden Mudfest event.
- PepsiCo Partner — Main sponsor of the Annual Daniel Barden Mudfest.
- Sandy Hook Promise Funder — Receives 100% of proceeds from the Daniel Barden Mudfest as of 2019.
- Sandy Hook Promise Partner — Receives charitable contributions from Daniel Barden Annual Mudfest Inc. to support its mission of preventing gun violence and protecting children.
- Sandy Hook Promise Partner — Receives half of Mudfest proceeds starting in 2026 to support violence prevention and safer communities.
- Sandy Hook Promise Partner — Recipient of annual event proceeds from Daniel Barden Mudfest.
- The KEYS Program Partner — Receives half of Mudfest proceeds starting in 2026 to fund free music therapy and respite experiences for children with cancer and their siblings.
- local Fire and EMS Departments Partner — Receives 100% of parking donation proceeds from the event.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Balanced Grantmaking for Local and National Impactmethodology: balanced grantmakingBy distributing funds equally between local and national nonprofits, the organization ensures both community-specific and broader societal impact, because balanced allocation supports immediate local needs while advancing systemic causes like gun violence prevention.
- Inclusive Cause-Based Participation Modelmethodology: cause-based_event_participationBy combining accessible, non-competitive obstacle course formats with a charitable mission, the organization increases broad community participation because lowering physical and psychological barriers enables diverse individuals to engage meaningfully with the cause.
- Memorial-Driven Community Engagementmethodology: memorial-driven-community-engagementBy honoring the memory and values of Daniel Barden through participatory events, the organization fosters community connection, youth leadership, and charitable action, because shared remembrance motivates sustained engagement and purposeful participation.
- Youth Leadership Through Immersive Outdoor Experiencemethodology: immersive-outdoor-youth-leadershipBy selecting student leaders for a technology-free outdoor adventure program tied to the event, the organization develops life skills and empowers youth to direct charitable impact, because immersive, peer-based experiences in nature foster responsibility, resilience, and agency.