American Whitewater has announced that it has accepted a corporate sponsorship from Confluence Watersports for 2002. During this calendar year, Confluence will provide $11,000 in unrestricted funds to support American Whitewater’s conservation and access efforts.
“This commitment by Confluence represents a first step and a tremendous vote of confidence from the paddlesports community,” notes Risa Shimoda, American Whitewater Executive Director. “While the outdoor industry has supported ‘land-based’ member organizations for their conservation and access work, very few companies have made corporate gifts to American Whitewater. This commitment reflects Confluence management’s understanding of the work that lies before us, working to insure that paddlers will be able to use and enjoy America’s whitewater resources.”
“We are proud to take this step in acknowledging the work that American Whitewater has contributed to our rivers and this sport,” noted Bill Medlin, Confluence Chief Executive Officer. “ We hope this helps set a trend for the industry to get behind AW, as we realize the future of our rivers relies on the groups that can help establish policy and also stomp out the environmental brush fires that inevitably await us.”
Confluence joins Patagonia, Immersion Research, the Nantahala Outdoor Center, Watershed, Mountain Surf and Extrasport as corporate sponsors of American Whitewater, the only national organization that focuses on protecting whitewater rivers in the United States.