Healing Waters is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that supports people living with HIV/AIDS through participation in outdoor adventures.
“For a smaller nonprofit that has little governmental funding, getting exposure at S.F. Pride is a huge deal for Healing Waters,” Titan Media Vice President Keith Webb told XBIZ. “It gives them the opportunity to be seen by 500,000-plus people from the LGBT community and their supporters. There will be many people with HIV at the event that will see Healing Waters and hopefully find a new resource. It is also a big fundraising opportunity and a way to network with other nonprofits from all over the globe.”
Since 1996, Healing Waters has provided whitewater rafting trips on the Kern and American Rivers, kayaking trips in the San Juan Islands of Washington, teen-camp LIQUID for HIV- teens, day trips around the Bay Area and paddling adventures in Monterey, Calif. Trips are offered every other weekend from May through October.
Qualified volunteers work to provide an emotionally and physically safe environment in the outdoors for individuals, many of whom are low income, to celebrate living and challenge their own beliefs about their strengths and abilities. More than 2,900 men, women and teenagers have been helped by Healing Waters.
“Especially when we’re dealing with HIV populations who are dealing with not only the day-to-day stresses but all of the personal health issues on top of that; having the time to step outside of that and be reflective and have everything taken care of means a lot,” Healing Waters program director Rob Everett told XBIZ. “I think that it’s a great opportunity – to actually be a visible presence at Pride contributes a lot and gets us a lot of exposure to outlets that are not strictly HIV-related and opens us up to finding new supporters and new volunteers.”
Healing Waters Executive Director Mike Dugan added, “Healing Waters would not have a float without the generous financial support from Titan Media. We are a small nonprofit without a budget for major public relations activities. Healing Waters would like to thank the Titan Media staff for their tremendous support.”
Titan’s sponsorship is in memoriam of longtime Titan Media employee and friend Eric Skiver, who passed away in late 2006 from HIV/AIDS-related complications.
“We are very proud to be supporting the incredible work being done by the two staff members and more than 180 volunteers at Healing Waters,” Titan Media President Bruce Cam said. “Eric Skiver was a dear and devoted friend for many years. I know how much he appreciated the trips he made with Healing Waters over the years; he also enjoyed and looked forward to the many weekends where he was one of the Healing Waters volunteer cooks. I hope that through our support others may experience that same sense of joy and accomplishment that was so special to Eric.”
Webb added further, “Pride is about the community and all the amazing unsung heroes that work hard behind the scenes to make a difference in others peoples’ lives. We felt that this should be about them, not about Titan Media. We decided to take all the money we would have spent flying in models from all over the world to appear at the event, and instead take the money and put it to better use in the community by supporting Healing Waters.”
The theme for the float is “Fun in the Sun with Healing Waters.” The float was designed by volunteer raft guide Devon Raphael and built by Healing Waters volunteers.