Since Copp dabbled in a bit of everything himself, the foundation has been intentionally vague about what it's looking for from this round of applications, which are due on June 6, 2012. But Aimee Copp, Jonny's sister, says she's been delighted by the response so far, has been honored to see what the 2010 and 2011 winners have accomplished with the help of the grants, and is looking forward to seeing what's on the horizon.
In 2010, Colorado-based climbers Abbey Smith, Pete Takeda, Jason Kehl and Mick Follari used the money from the inaugural Jonny Copp Award to help finance a bouldering expedition to Zanskar, in the Indian Himalayas, and to create a documentary of their trip, The Zanskar Odyssey.
And 2011 winner Jeremy Collins, the climber/artist/animator whose film The Wolf and the Medallion closed out last year's Adventure Film Festival, used his grant funds to travel to Venezuela for his in-progress four-part film series More Than Mountains and to deliver a solar-powered generator to an indigenous tribe on the Gran Sabana plateau. "Every time I go looking to plan for a trip, I find Jonny has left his footprints EVERYWHERE," Collins said in a December interview with the American Alpine Club. "But... apparently he never made it down to the Gran Sabana for big sandstone in the jungle, so I think he'd appreciate that."
Here's more on the Jonny Copp Award, via JonnyCoppFoundation.org:"Jonny was a professional alpine climber, the Founder of the International Adventure Film Festival, a gifted photographer and writer, and a talented musician. He shared his passion for adventure, the environment, and the art of photography, film, and writing with all those that expressed interest. He dedicated his life to his loves: his family, his friends, and the mountain peaks forever on the horizon, waiting to be explored. He was the embodiment of the Golden Rule and was a larger than life legend that will be deeply missed.
This award is for those people that truly want to make a difference in this world by sharing their knowledge and love for what they do. This award is meant to support those creative and adventurous minds that want to make a true impact and help change lives."
To apply, download the application at JonnyCoppFoundation.org. Winners will be announced on July 1, 2012 and introduced at the Adventure Film Festival in the Fall.