About the Nonprofit
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The Live Water Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to Inspire and Empower the people and organizations we work with by facilitating watersports programs that improve the health, wellness, and environment of our communities.
Our Programs
Wai Koa
Wai Koa (Hawaiian for “Water Warrior” and pronounced why–ko–uh) is a supplemental adaptive sports program that seeks to enhance the quality of life for physically and mentally disabled veterans, active military, and first responders through stand up paddleboarding. Additionally, we join members of Team Red, White, and Blue (Team RWB) and Wounded Warrior Project for outdoor adventures like paddle tours, and hands-on activities such as park clean-ups and beautification efforts. These activities help to promote a sense of community, purpose, and self-efficacy, and are proven to have immense therapeutic benefits that significantly increase a veteran’s overall quality of life.
Junior Wai Koa
Junior Wai Koa is a year-round introduction to water activities for under-resourced youth which we offer in partnership with the Annapolis Police Department. Our home here on the Chesapeake Bay is synonymous with being on the water, but for Annapolis’ most disadvantaged youth, spending time on it seldom happens. New for 2022, we began incorporating swim lessons in our youth program. Our Junior Wai Koa program allows us to increase equitable access to water activities in the future and provide an unforgettable experience for these children by learning new skills. Additionally, our youth clinic offers a fun, community-oriented environment that intrinsically motivates personal growth, physical movement, and confidence on the water.
Environmental Initiatives
In celebration of Earth Day, we have partnered with Annapolis City Greenscape, UpCycled, and Capital SUP to organize a nature park cleanup since 2020. In 2021, we began a full-service oyster cage operation to aid in the “Marylanders Grow Oysters” (MGO) project managed by the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP). A single adult oyster can filter more than 50 gallons of water a day. Through this partnership, we ensure that oyster spat has a safe place to mature to adulthood in order to contribute to filtering the water of the Chesapeake Bay. Throughout the oyster growing season, our team regularly inspects and maintains cages to further support the sustainability and quality of the oysters.
Within our veteran and youth programs, we incorporate environmental initiatives such as park clean-ups, oyster cage building, and deployment of oyster cages. As environmental stewards, we recognize the importance of everyone playing their part in keeping natural habitats clean. We’re proud of our ability to utilize community action to beautify our parks and clean our waterways by empowering individuals to play an active role in looking after what everyone can enjoy.
Our Purpose
We chose to connect people to the water by way of paddling for several reasons. It’s a great stress reliever thanks to the calming nature of the water surrounding you. You get the sense that you are one with nature – paddling through the waves, soaking in the sun, listening to the sounds of nature around you – all are so mesmerizing, taking away any stress or negative energy you may be processing.
It’s also a relatively low-impact workout. It helps increase your strength and recover from injuries without doing additional harm to your body. It is also exceptionally good for those who experience knee or hip pain, and even shin splints! Therefore, we utilize the sport and offer it as an adaptive weekly physical training session for our veteran groups. Some of our programs also give our paddlers a sense of purpose as we incorporate on-water cleanups where we take trash bags and collect trash in the more polluted areas of our waterways.
