Project BLUE Expands Support to Include the SIMA Environmental Fund

 

April 6, 2010 – San Clemente, CA: project BLUE, the initiative established to raise funds in support of ocean and beach protection, is happy to announce that their program will be expanding to include the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Environmental Fund. Project BLUE is a collaboration between leading and competitive brands in the surf industry, where a portion of the proceeds from products sold under the initiative will go to support the 19 non-profit organizations supported by the SIMA Environmental Fund, all of whom share a common mission in the protection of our coastal waters.  The brands currently in the project BLUE family include Billabong, DAKINE, Electric, Famous Wax, Nixon and O’Neill.

 

Through previous efforts, project BLUE has donated more than $140,000 to the Surfrider Foundation to support its mission to protect our oceans, waves and beaches.  As an existing beneficiary of the SIMA Environmental Fund, Surfrider will continue to receive support from project BLUE’s efforts.

 

“Thanks to the support of the surf industry, over the past 21 years the SIMA Environmental Fund has donated more than $5 million to non-profit environmental organizations whose efforts are focused on enhancing the oceanic environment,” said Paul Naude, SIMA Environmental Fund Board President.  “Through this new partnership with project BLUE, we’ll be able to further support these beneficiary organizations and their efforts of protecting oceans and surf breaks around the world.”

 

With project BLUE’s expansion into the SIMA Environmental Fund, the initiative will have increased opportunities to promote its message of supporting change through conscious shopping at the retail level.

 

“We are really excited about adding the SIMA Environmental Fund as a beneficiary of this campaign.  In addition to continuing our support of Surfrider, we’re now going to be helping a greater number of environmental groups,” commented Vipe Desai, founder of project BLUE. “This expansion with the SIMA Environmental Fund is going to help the team at project BLUE spread the word to an increasingly growing community of likeminded supporters.”

 

The non-profits which make up the SIMA Environmental Fund include:

-       Alaska Wilderness League

-       Algalita Marine Research Foundation

-       Assateague Coastal Trust

-       Heal the Bay

-       KAHEA: Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance

-       North Shore Community Land Trust

-       Ocean Institute

-       Ocean Defenders Alliance

-       Orange County CoastKeeper

-       Paso Pacifico

-       Reef Check

-       Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

-       Santa Monica Baykeeper

-       Save the Waves Coalition

-       Seymour Marine Discovery Center

-       SINADES

-       Surfing Education Association

-       Surfrider Foundation

-       WiLDCOAST

 

As a part of the partnership with SIMA, project BLUE will have a presence at the annual fundraising event for the SIMA Environmental Fund, Waterman’s Weekend. Waterman’s Weekend begins Thursday, July 8, with the Waterman’s Classic Golf Tournament at the Monarch Beach Golf Links, and culminates on Friday, July 9, with the 21st annual Waterman’s Ball and auction to be held at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Calif. SIMA will honor surfing legend Tom Curren as Waterman of the Year, environmental leader Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Environmentalist of the Year, and iconic surfboard shaper Al Merrick with the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award as a part of the 2010 Waterman’s Weekend. For more information, please visit www.sima.com/watermans.aspx.

 

About SIMA

The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the official working trade association of more than 300 surf industry suppliers. Founded in 1989, SIMA is a non-profit organization that serves to promote awareness of the surf industry and participation in the sport of surfing through public relations efforts and a variety of services, educational programs and research. In addition, SIMA actively supports oceanic environmental efforts through its 501(c)(3) charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund. In the past 20 years, SIMA's Environmental Fund has raised more than $5 million for environmental groups seeking to protect the world's oceans, beaches and waves. The SIMA Humanitarian Fund, also a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, was established to award grants to various surf or boardsport related social and humanitarian non-profit organizations whose efforts are focused on improving the quality of life, health and/or welfare of people. Liquid Nation Ball serves as the annual fundraising event for the SIMA Humanitarian Fund, and since 2004 has raised and donated more than $1.25 million to surf-related non-profit humanitarian organizations. For more information regarding SIMA, please visit www.sima.com. Follow SIMA at Twitter.com/SIMA_SURF. 

 

About project BLUE

project BLUE is an unprecedented collaboration of leading and competitive brands in the multi-billion dollar surf industry.  Each of the project BLUE product partners has created special edition merchandise specifically for the initiative, with a portion of the proceeds from each sale going towards the non-profit beneficiaries of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Environmental Fund. Billabong, DAKINE, Electric, Famous Wax, Nixon and O’Neill have all pledged their long-term support for the program.

 

project BLUE products can be found worldwide at leading surf retailers and online at www.Swell.com. More information on project BLUE and its partners can be found at www.betruetoblue.com or by following it on Twitter @betruetoblue.