10th Annual Wine to Water/Wes Skiles Water Stewardship Awards

811 North Main Street,Gainesville FL 32601

02 November, 2022

Description

On November 2nd, 6-8PM at the Cade Museum, Wes Skiles’ memory will be honored at the 10th annual Wine to Water/Wes Skiles Water Stewardship Awards. The event includes recognition of this year’s award winners and a keynote presentation by Dr. Jason Gulley who is a geologist, writer and photographer. Jason’s photography and writing dovetail with his research on Florida’s springs, underwater environments and glaciers. He is a National Geographic Explorer and Photographer, as well as a cave and technical scuba diving instructor. Florida has the largest convergence of freshwater springs on the planet and one of the most impressive natural wonders are the underwater caves. Alachua County’s own Wes C. Skiles began diving at age 8 and quickly became internationally recognized for his accomplishments in underwater filming and springs conservation awareness. Tragically, Skiles died while on a dive off Boynton Beach in 2010. He was posthumously awarded “Explorer of the Year” in 2011 by National Geographic. Wes had multiple photos published in multiple issues of National Geographic including the Award winning cover shot in August 2010. Wes was a frequent and entertaining speaker at the Downtown Gainesville Club which led the club to focus on Clean Water as one of their main focus points. The Wes Skiles Water Stewardship Awards recognize exceptional efforts in improving water quality and conservation in the North Florida area. Nominations from Rotarians and former award winners are accepted in the categories of an individual, a non-profit organization, and a for profit business that demonstrates exceptional achievements in water stewardship. The winners are presented a plaque and cash prize for their extraordinary work and accomplishments at the event. Wes Skiles’ family continues to live in High Springs, Florida and Skiles’ brother Jim is an active member of the Rotary Club of Downtown Gainesville. Water & Sanitation and Supporting the Environment are two of Rotary International seven areas of focus and since 2012, the Downtown Gainesville club has promoted good water stewardship through hosting this event and supporting other water related projects. - Tickets: $50 per person which includes indoor seating, hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine. If you would like to mail a donation, please mail your check to PO Box 358387, Gainesville, FL 32635 with a check made out to Rotary Club of Downtown Gainesville and include "Wine to Water" in the memo line. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still available through [email protected] or members of the Rotary Club of Downtown Gainesville.