ALEXANDRIA, VA (February 26, 2019) – Today, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) announced the 2019 grantees for its George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Education Fund, the fourth round of grants since the program launched in 2014. Twelve grantee organizations will work to bring fishing and boating experiences and conservation education to Hispanic families in eight states.
The Education Fund awarded a total of nearly $60,000 in grants to 12 fishing and boating programs in eight states. The eight state fish and wildlife agencies are fully-matching the grant funds, bringing the total amount of funding to approximately $125,000 for the 2019 grantees.
The Hispanic audience is projected to soon reach 20 percent of the U.S. population, but this audience only makes up 8.5 percent of total fishing participation. This lagging participation rate, along with the the importance of introducing fishing and boating to potential anglers before the age of 18 makes the work that the Education Fund does extremely critical to the future of fishing and boating.
Grants were awarded to eight state agencies to sub grant to the following 12 local organizations:
Alabama
4-H Club Foundation
California
Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research
Reel Guppy Outdoors
Sycamore Junior High School
Tuolumne River Trust
Iowa
Iowa Hunter Education Instructors Association
Nebraska
Nebraska Wildlife Federation
Nevada
Hispanic Access Foundation
Ohio
Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
Utah
Spanish Fork Parks and Recreation
Virginia
Harrisonburg City Public Schools
Hispanic Access Foundation
“We as an industry need to welcome these new participants by showcasing them in our overall marketing efforts,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “This will encourage even more participants from these emerging audiences to get on the water, and hopefully become lifelong anglers and boaters.”
The George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Education Fund was founded in 2014 when Bass Pro Shops Founder & CEO Johnny Morris donated $125,000 to RBFF to start an Education Fund in honor of his friend, the late President George H.W. Bush. Since the Education Fund was launched, other companies have come on board to support the cause. The mission of the Education Fund remains engaging Hispanic families across the United States in fishing and boating through hands-on experiences and conservation activities.
More information about the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Education Fund is available at takemefishing.org/educationfund. Learn more about how you or your organization can donate to the fund here.
