Giving Back and Spreading Stoke
Over the last two weekends of September, Tourism Revelstoke hosted our fifth annual Thanksgiving Back, bringing together new partners and familiar faces for another incredible year of giving back. More than 120 volunteers joined 13 projects led by 10 local nonprofits, tackling everything from food security and senior support to trail work and arts events.
New organizations like The Neighbourhood Kitchen, Community Connections, and Revelstoke Seniors joined long-time collaborators including Arts Revelstoke, the Revelstoke Cycling Association, Revelstoke Snowmobile Club, Revelstoke Railway Museum, the Local Food Initiative, the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre, and the BC Forestry Museum, showcasing the collective strength of this community.
Volunteers travelled from across British Columbia (62%) and Alberta (35%), with a few from as far as Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. Volunteers stayed an average of 2.3 nights across 25 different accommodations, and spent more than $26,000 locally during their stay, all while contributing their time and energy to local causes.
The Local Food Initiative
Thanksgiving Back 2025 generated an 86% Community Return on Investment, meaning that for every $1 invested, an additional $0.86 was spent by participants within the community. Additionally, 95% of Tourism Revelstoke’s investment also stayed local, through accommodation reimbursements, nonprofit event support, and local supplier contracts. Combined with visitor spending on food, retail, and experiences, the program created nearly $70,000 in direct local economic benefit.
Tourism Revelstoke also partnered with the University of Utah’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, which selected Revelstoke’s Thanksgiving Back program to research as a case study in regenerative tourism. Led by Dr. Clara-Jane Blye, this study aims to evaluate the program’s impacts on visitors, the community, and local organizations, with the goal of
More than numbers, Thanksgiving Back celebrates the power of connection. It turns visitors into neighbours, reinforces stewardship, and keeps the stoke alive and thriving.