Have Fun Do GoodFresh off his organization’s trip to Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks, Adam Kunes, founder of Have Fun Do Good, chatted with us about what he and his group and do and how their trip went.

EMS: So, elevator pitch style, what is Have Fun Do Good and what’s your goal?

AK: Have Fun Do Good is a social good travel company. We provide group travel excursions for 21- to 35-year-olds. We partner with nonprofits all over the United States to provide our participants with a unique travel opportunity incorporating volunteer work. Our trips are a perfect blend of fun and giving back. Our goal is to force our participants to step out of their comfort zones, explore, travel, and give back at the same time.

Have Fun Do GoodEMS: What are some of the nonprofits and groups you’ve partnered with and what have your teams worked with them on?

AK: Our work ranges from disaster relief efforts to animal welfare. We have worked with dozens of nonprofits to date, including Rebuilding Together, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Ronald McDonald House, National Park Services, and PubliColor. Our service projects are just as varied and have included repainting a school in the Bronx, working with special needs young adults, and beautifying Washington, D.C. neighborhoods. We are continually growing our partnerships with organizations across the country and helping to spread their missions through our trips. It’s a rewarding and mutually beneficial system.

Have Fun Do GoodEMS: What big trip did you recently come back from? How did it go?

To celebrate the National Park Service centennial, we organized a National Park Tour. Fifteen participants road-tripped from Tucson, Arizona to the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and Lake Powell.

The team spent the first night at Mather Campground and enjoyed epic sunset views from Mather Point. It was the first time seeing the Grand Canyon for many of our participants, which made the night really special. An unforeseen boulder happened to block the Zion National Park north entrance on Friday, August 12th, which delayed the drive from the Grand Canyon. We made it safely to our volunteer project at the Zion Nursery located next to Watchman Campground. Our group spent the afternoon working with Krystan from the National Park Service. We repotted Quercus Turbinella (better known as shrub live oak) and took inventory of plants at the nursery.

Have Fun Do Good

Day 3 took us to Zion National Park. We hiked down to Lower Pine Creek and enjoyed the waterfall and some cliff jumping. After an awesome day, the team drove east to Lake Powell to check into an Airbnb houseboat located at Wahweap Marina.

Have Fun Do GoodDay 4 brought even more adventure. We took a short hike down the sandstone bluffs to “The Chains,” a beautiful swimming area with amazing views. It was a great way to cool down on a 110-degree day. The team then ventured to Lower Antelope Canyon to take in the majestic views. It was nothing short of breathtaking. After a jam-packed day, we spent our last evening enjoying each other’s company, swimming and sliding down the houseboat slide. As an added bonus, nature provided us with a meteor shower at night.

The National Park Tour was an epic trip providing our team with amazing views, a lot of laughs, and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Participant Melina Islas summed it up best: “It’s crazy to think that we all see the same sun setting, but it looks completely unique from different perspectives. That’s why we travel! We gain new perspectives on the world, on the things that others may find ordinary, and on ourselves. I gained a new perspective on life this past weekend. Moments like these are called living.”