You may have seen Mike Rowe, from the TV show “Dirty Jobs,” speaking at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree. If so, you know that he’s all about working hard and smart, rolling up his shirtsleeves, and getting dirty to get the job done.
Mike’s passion is addressing what he calls the “skills gap,” a situation where there are literally millions of jobs in the United States but no skilled practitioners to fill them. To raise awareness—and money—for the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, he’s auctioning off Dirt Patrol memorabilia.
To find out how to get your hands on T-shirts, hats, posters, and more, check out this post over at Scouting magazine.
For more on Mike’s mission, here’s a blurb from his website:
The mikeroweWORKS Foundation is concerned with promoting hard work and supporting the skilled trades in a variety of areas. Primarily, we award scholarships to young men and women who have illustrated both an interest and an aptitude around mastering a specific trade. Qualified candidates include those students who are part way through an accredited trade school or apprenticeship program, and need financial assistance.
Additionally, the Foundation supports Skills USA by covering travel costs for competing students who could otherwise not afford to attend. We also provide tool stipends for students that graduate from accredited AED schools.
The mikeroweWORKS Foundation is supported by donations from individuals and corporations, as well as a variety of fundraisers and sweepstakes. To date, we’ve raised over a million dollars, and hope to distribute much more in the near future.
So what do you say? Are you ready to join the Dirt Patrol?