Hurley H2O Helps Humanity

Sports apparel giant Hurley, a division of Nike, is putting its brand name and resources behind H2O – its charitable initiative to improve people’s standard of living worldwide by providing clean water to everyone. Hurley describes itself as “a water-borne company” so it makes sense that it’s set out to get clean water to people who don’t have access to it. 

When we stopped by the H2O booth at this year’s U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach Julie Padrones, an H2O representative, told us Hurley is committed to H2O because “one out of six people in the world doesn’t have fresh water. Only 1% of the world’s water is drinkable.”

SurfWriter Girls learned that Hurley H2O’s mission is simple: “To get clean water to every single person who needs it.” To accomplish this Hurley launched the H20 initiative in 2008 and later teamed up with Jon Rose, the founder of Waves for Water, to work with him on this project. Waves for Water is a non-profit organization that provides water filters, fresh water supplies, and training about proper water handling and usage to people  in need.

“We go all over the world with ecology groups,” Padrones said. “After the earthquake in Japan when they had radiation, H20 brought water filters in and the first batch of fresh water to the Japanese people. It was the first clean water they had to drink.” H20 got 170 water filters distributed in Japan and gave 17,000 people access to clean water.

H20 was ready to help in Haiti, as well, after the disaster there. This time it delivered 50,000 water filters and got clean water to 2 million people. Padrones said, “Hurley also told people what you can do to keep yourselves healthy especially for the children because a lot of the children died from water illnesses.”

Montana Rycobo, who was also in the H20 booth, showed us some metal water bottles that H20 distributes and emphasized that they were much better for the environment than plastic bottles. We definitely agree with this. In fact, the Surfrider Foundation we work with has a Rise Above Plastics (RAP) program that promotes alternatives to plastic bottles and bags.

In addition to Waves for Water, H20 has joined forces with The Ecology Center, an organization that is inspiring water activists through its programs in eco-education, recycling, organic farming, farmers markets and other means that demonstrate and educate about conservation methods and clean water techniques. 

As the H20 initiative is proving, Hurley’s goals go beyond sports apparel. It wants nothing less than to keep our planet hydrated and healthy.