Trailblazer deep dive: where the growth comes from
The five-year strategic plan called for Trailblazer fundraising — Trailblazers plus other peer-to-peer campaigns — to grow toward $400k over time. We're at about $31k. The number to focus on isn't the gap, though; it's where the growth is coming from: new flagship formats layered on the original program.
2026 is year-to-date through mid-June; the lighter cap is a projection. We're not running a fall First 50k, so it won't double — but the October Rim-to-Rim and ongoing Trailblazer campaigns should bring the full year to roughly $42–48k.
The recent strength isn't the original Trailblazers program rebounding — that has softened from its 2022 peak (~$32k) to the low teens (~$13.5k in 2025). The growth comes from new flagship formats stacked on top: Rim-to-Rim in 2025, First 50k in 2026, each clearing ~$17–22k on its own. (The old split between a “named Trailblazers” page and individual athlete pages was just how we organized Classy — same program.)
*$400k was the plan's ambition for all Cairn peer-to-peer combined (Trailblazers, Rim-to-Rim, First 50k), excluding Grit Lit, which is product-based.
Trailblazers — recent & active
A Trailblazer turns a personal adventure into a fundraiser that expands wilderness access for girls. A few carrying it now and recently:
Ericka “Sparkles” Johnson
Out there now — “every girl deserves her summit story.” Her page →
Colleen MacDonald
Set a Fastest Known Time on Kilimanjaro's Northern Route in 2025 and turned it into a Cairn Project fundraiser. Her story →
Mara White
Cycling 5,000+ km from France to Istanbul, turning the ride into a Cairn Project fundraiser — paired with a candid personal story of moving from self-harm to self-care through the outdoors. Her campaign →
See all Trailblazers at cairnproject.org/all-trailblazers.