Our Roots

From Our Founder

 

"I built Healthy Footprints Adventure Community out of love... the kind of love I was lucky enough to grow up with. My parents, Darwin and Barbara German, opened their doors to everyone. They poured out generosity, welcomed all into our home, and believed that the outdoors could change a child’s life.

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Some of my strongest memories are of them loading up the car with kids, cousins, friends, and heading out on adventures. Even when it wasn’t easy, they made it happen. We stood under the towering sequoias, learned to ski at Heavenly in Lake Tahoe, zoomed down snowy trails on snowmobiles, walked deep into caverns, and even put on ponchos to stand beneath Niagara Falls. One whole summer they drove us around the country in a motorhome; a rolling classroom where we learned history, laughed together, and built a love for beautiful places in nature that never left me.

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My brother Charles inherited that same spirit. He hiked California’s tallest peaks, built beautiful spaces in Lake Tahoe, and quietly shared his love of the outdoors with anyone who needed it. He always made sure other people got to feel the magic too. Charles unexpectedly passed away in August 2025, and losing him has deepened my purpose. Everything I do here now carries his name, his generosity, and his adventurous heart.

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Healthy Footprints Adventure Community exists so that no child misses out on the kind of experiences that shaped us. We take kids outside, help them discover their strength, curiosity, and connection to the earth, no matter their family’s financial situation. Because I know firsthand... a childhood filled with nature is a gift that lasts a lifetime."

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- Suzy Gonzalez, Founder