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Legal Information

Last updated: April 22, 2026

Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Licenses

Introduction

The Elk Journey ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website elkjourney.org and use our services.

Site Operator: This site is operated by the Washington State Elks Association (WSEA) Online Presence Committee to support John Kristofzski's Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike fundraising campaign.

Data Controller: The WSEA Online Presence Committee is the data controller for information collected through this website. Other Elks organizations that benefit from this fundraising campaign (BPO Elks, ENF, Oregon State Elks, California-Hawaii Elks) do not have direct access to or control over the data collected by this website unless specifically shared for donation verification purposes.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

We collect information you voluntarily provide when you:

  • Make a donation or pledge: Name, email address, donation amount, cause selection, display preference, and optional message
  • Subscribe to journal updates: Name and email address
  • Submit a contact form: Name, email address, subject, and message
  • Report a bug: Name and bug description

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our site, we may automatically collect:

  • Session data: Temporary session identifiers to maintain your browsing session
  • IP addresses: For security purposes (login attempts, admin actions)
  • Browser information: User-agent string for admin audit logging

GPS Tracking Data

We collect and display GPS coordinates from John Kristofzski's Garmin InReach device to track his progress on the Pacific Crest Trail. This location data is publicly visible on our tracker page and on Garmin's MapShare service.

How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

  • Process and track your donations and pledges
  • Send confirmation emails for donations, pledges, and subscriptions
  • Send invoice emails when pledges are due
  • Send journal update notifications (if subscribed)
  • Respond to your inquiries via contact form
  • Display your name on our Supporters Wall (based on your display preference)
  • Share donation information with the appropriate Elks charity organization for payment verification
  • Maintain security and prevent fraud

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect or process your data:

Brevo (Email Service)

We use Brevo to send transactional emails. Your name and email address are shared with Brevo for email delivery. Brevo may track email opens and link clicks. Brevo Privacy Policy

Cloudflare

Our site uses Cloudflare for security (DDoS protection, SSL) and Cloudflare Turnstile for bot protection. Cloudflare Privacy Policy

Google Maps & Fonts

We use Google Maps API for trail visualization and Google Fonts. Google Privacy Policy

Garmin MapShare

John's real-time GPS location is publicly available through Garmin's MapShare service. Garmin Privacy Policy

External Donation Portals

When you complete a donation, you are redirected to the official donation page of the respective Elks organization. We do not process payments. Each organization has its own privacy policy.

Cookies and Sessions

We use session cookies to maintain your login session, store CSRF tokens for form security, and remember preview access. Our session cookies are HttpOnly, Secure (HTTPS only), and expire after 1 hour.

We do not use tracking cookies, analytics cookies, or advertising cookies.

Data Sharing

We share your information with:

  • Elks Charity Organizations: Donation records for payment verification
  • Service Providers: Brevo (email), Cloudflare (security), Google (maps/fonts)
  • Public Display: Your name on our Supporters Wall based on your preference

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Data Retention

  • Donation/Pledge records: Retained for the campaign duration plus 7 years for tax/audit purposes
  • Email subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe
  • Contact form submissions: Not stored in database; sent directly to admin email
  • Security logs: IP addresses and login attempts retained for 1 year

Your Rights

You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data. To exercise these rights, contact us at connect@elkjourney.org.

Data Security

We implement SSL/TLS encryption, bcrypt password hashing, CSRF protection, and Cloudflare WAF. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

Children's Privacy

Our site is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Contact Us

Questions? Email connect@elkjourney.org or visit our contact page.