Ozark Foundation
by March 9, 2026 8:00 am 251 views
Ozark Foundation is an outdoor recreation event production organization. The nonprofit owns and operates about 20 events in Northwest Arkansas and throughout the state. It also supports an additional 20 outdoor recreation events in Arkansas.
Founded by Michael Spivey and Gary Vernon, the nonprofit’s mission is to position Northwest Arkansas and the state as a premier outdoor recreation destination and to lower barriers to entry to the outdoors. It’s focused on community and family events, including OZ Kids, taking place throughout the year for children ages 2-10. It also operates competitive events such as the OZ Stage Race, a three-day mountain bike race, and the Arkansas Graveler, a five-day bike tour on unpaved Arkansas roads.
In 2025, the nonprofit invested about $2 million in program services in 25 Arkansas communities and supported 17 philanthropic organizations.