A gift to WTA that spans generations
One volunteer's gift honors family memories while sustaining the trails of tomorrow. By Adam Steinberg
When Janice Neumiller first called Washington Trails Association, she was hoping to learn more about how our work makes a difference for trails and for people who love the outdoors. Her parents, who loved spending time outside, had passed and she was looking for a way to honor their memory. That conversation ultimately led to a generous $1 million gift that honors her parents and will make an incredible difference on Washington trails for many years to come.
Janice’s parents — Al and Beulah Hilstrom — loved the outdoors. When the weather was right, you could often find Al enjoying Washington’s calm lake waters while fishing. And for Beulah, hiking was more than a pastime; it was where she found her community. For 37 years, Beulah was a beloved member of the Renton Women’s Hiking Club and Renton Rovers, exploring all across the state. Even in winter, she was regularly outside, cross-country skiing and adventuring on low-elevation trails.
Beulah and Al Hilstrom were deeply invested in time outdoors. It's a passion they passed to their children Janice, Keith and Roger. Photo courtesy of Janice Neumiller
Janice often joined her mom on trips with the Renton Women’s Hiking Club and was amazed by their ability to continue trekking well into their 70s and 80s. On one hike, Beulah and her friends pointed their hiking poles at every flower and called out its name. Janice found they knew the names of over a hundred flowers. That made her realize that, despite all her time in nature, there’s always more to learn. Janice will never forget this gift that her mother passed on to her.
Al and Beulah imparted a love of the outdoors to their three children: Janice, Keith and Roger. After Al and Beulah passed, their children couldn’t think of a better way to honor them than by donating their estate to the causes Al and Beulah held most dear. Each sibling chose one cause that symbolized the values their parents embodied. As Janice learned more about WTA, she knew she’d found a way for her parents to leave an enduring legacy in the outdoors that they loved so much.
The transformative impact of this gift is being leveraged over the course of 5 years. A gift of this magnitude provides stability for the organization and provides space for inventive thinking around how WTA can best support hikers and trails across Washington. Whether it’s expanding our professional backcountry Lost Trails Found crews, increasing Outdoor Leadership Training workshops or building out new features for our Hiking Guide, WTA is able to use this gift where it is needed most.
Janice Neumiller (center) honored her parents with a generous gift to WTA. WTA volunteer Jim Scrafford (left) and Jaime Loucky (right), WTA’s CEO, are holding a crosscut saw engraved with Al and Beulah’s names. Photo by Adam Steinberg
Janice’s choice to honor her parents’ legacy through this gift is an act of incredible generosity that will have a huge impact on the Washington hiking community. WTA’s staff, board and community are grateful for the trust in our organization to steward this important gift.
To honor their impact, WTA volunteer Jim Scrafford engraved Al and Beulah’s names into one of our beloved crosscut saws. These tools take special skill to wield and last for decades. In 2024, this saw will have a major ripple effect. It will be used to clear downed trees throughout the Puget Sound and the Central Cascades. But it will also be used as a training tool during all of our sawyer certifications throughout the state, empowering the next generation of expert sawyers.
As a result of their gift and this saw, Al and Beulah’s legacy will touch hundreds of trails for many years, helping sustain an accessible trail system — now and for the next generation.
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