Several months ago, we had what felt like a pretty simple idea: get a bunch of people from the water industry together, take them fishing, and use the day to fund clean water projects.
And we decided to go for it!
Then suddenly you’re talking about charter boats, hotel blocks, what SPF sunscreen to buy, whether 80 hats is enough, spending way too much time coming up with anonymous auction names like “Boaty McBoatface,” and deciding what color a tiny trophy for the “Most Valuable Minnow” should be.
But thanks to a lot of help from a lot of people, it all came together for our very FIRST Fishing for Clean Water tournament.
On September 18, 80+ people joined us aboard an 88-foot catamaran in Clearwater, Florida, and together we raised $81,500 for clean water projects!
Our original goal was to fund projects for 15 communities. We blew past that goal and raised enough to fund clean water projects for more than 20 communities.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who braved the waters, donated generously, sponsored the event, and helped make our first year such a success.
The model for the tournament was that every four fishing seats would fund one clean water project. At $1,000 per seat, a team of four could spend the day offshore together and, at the same time, provide clean water to an entire community.
And we watched it grow.
About a month out, we crossed 50 people registered with $50,000 raised. We made cookies to celebrate. Then we hit 70 people. Then more registrations came in. Sponsors jumped in to help cover the cost of the event. People donated items for a charity auction. And before we knew it, we were headed to Florida with 82 people signed up.
We had a charity auction lined up, swag for everyone, awards for the longest grouper, snapper, and open species, plus several much less prestigious honors like “Saltiest Angler,” “Most Broken Off,” and “Most Valuable Minnow.” We even had a giant Grand Slam championship belt.
Then Friday morning finally came.
As the sun came up over Clearwater Marina, everyone pitched in carrying boxes, bags, auction items, and even rolling a TV down the dock to the boat.
There were utility workers, meter manufacturers, rotary club members, nonprofit partners, customers, and friends. Some people had known each other for years. Some had met two days earlier. And some had probably spent years trying to win business from each other.
That is one of the things I love most about WIN. The whole point is to bring people together around something bigger than whatever company logo happens to be on their polo that day. And for one Friday in Clearwater, we got to do exactly that.
Once we were out on the water, it didn’t take long for the fishing to start. In fact, before we could even get our clipboards ready to track the tournament catches, fish were coming up all over the boat. We were fishing for snapper, grouper, and pretty much anything else that would take the bait, and we caught all of it. And lost a good amount of hooks on the reef in the process.
Inside the air-conditioned cabin, we had our documentary, When Water Stops, playing on a TV throughout the day. Produced by Filmlaab, the film follows our WIN team through rural Uganda earlier this year and explores the broken well crisis, what happens when clean water stops flowing, and how the water industry can help solve it.
So, between fishing, lunch, and escaping the Florida heat for a few minutes, people could come inside and see more of the reason we were all out there in the first place.
And now, the impact from that day is already moving forward.
The $81,500 raised for clean water projects has been transferred, and funding is dedicated to more than 20 projects through our partner on the ground. Over the coming months, we’ll be able to show everyone exactly where those projects are and the communities behind them.
As projects are completed and connected, donors will be able to follow the communities they helped support through the WIN Impact Dashboard, bringing the same kind of visibility and accountability we talk about in When Water Stops to the projects funded through this event.
The water industry has some of the smartest people in the world when it comes to moving, measuring, and maintaining water. We have engineers, manufacturers, utility professionals, service providers, and technology companies solving complicated water problems every single day.
The idea behind WIN has always been pretty simple: what happens if we get all of those people working on this problem too?
On September 18, I think we got a little glimpse of the answer.
More than 20 communities will have clean water because this group decided to spend a Friday fishing together. But even more exciting is what can happen as more companies and industry leaders bring their technology, expertise, resources, and relationships to the problem. That’s what we want to keep building through WIN.
And as for next year’s Fishing for Clean Water tournament?
We’re not afraid of adding another boat if we need one. And we’re definitely not afraid of buying a lot more motion sickness medicine.
