This action was a result of the announcement of the Climate Action Plan in 2014 spearheaded by the Obama administration.
Washington responded to the movement by saying, "We've been completely blown away by what you guys have brought to life. The photos from your athletes are inspiring everyday people in a way only they could - and driving a larger audience to identify with the cause of climate change. No one could ever manufacture the content that the POW athletes are creating, and they're reaching people in a really important way. Keep going" (protectourwinters.org).
Within the first week of the hashtag action there were more than 13,000 tweets by more than 10,000 users. Those using the hashtag included professional athletes such as, "Alex Honnod, Conrad Anker, Jeremy Jones, Gretchen Bleiler, Jamie Anderson, Jimmy Chin, etc." (protectourwinters.org). Washington responded to the impact of the movement and the power of the content and engagement that the Protect Our Winters athletes were creating.