Broadening Our Neighborhood
Wow — 2019 is already almost at an end, and we are about to move into a new decade. This year has flown by, and it has been quite a year of change for me. For the first time in 11 seasons, I did not suit up and play in an NFL game. I moved permanently back to my hometown of Charlottesville, VA, and I launched Chalk Media company in the fall.
With all the change, one thing has stayed consistent, though: my commitment to our work through Waterboys. If anything, our pace and passion have only increased. I think nothing shows that better than the fact that, as the year closes, we are expanding our efforts even more. This month alone, we have announced two new significant additions to Waterboys.
First, our Hoops2o program is growing their reach from the NBA into college basketball with the addition of University of Virginia men’s basketball head coach Tony Bennett as their first “Hoops2o Head Coach.” Coach Bennett joins five other UVA alums that are part of our Hoops2o roster of players, and this Sunday he’ll bring awareness to our mission during UVA’s match-up with UNC by wearing a Hoops2o pin. Additionally, he and his wife Laurel have already personally funded a well for a Kenyan community that lacked this resource. Together, our Hoops2o team is making game-changing plays off the court for communities that lack safe, accessible water, bringing us even closer to our goals.
| final month of the year is our busiest yet, but also our most exciting. Next week, our NBA athletes will be launching a game-changing new campaign to help even more lives. Stay tuned to @waterboysorg on social! |
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Just as our Hoops2o team is expanding, we’re expanding our commitment to providing water to 1 million people as well. How? By launching our newest Waterboys program, Hometown H2o. Not a lot of people know about the water crisis in rural America, and this program will help bring water to the 1.5 million Americans that don’t have access to it.
Not only does Hometown H2o expand where we do our work, but it also expands who we do our work with. We have brought on two incredible charitable partners in RCAP and Water Well Trust for this effort that will help us implement our well projects and water fountain projects in rural America. Xylem has also joined the effort as our corporate partner, and will share their water technology expertise with us to make sure that we are efficiently changing the lives of our neighbors.
So, to say the least, this has been a big month for all of us at Waterboys. What makes it even more exciting is that our committed team of athletes, fans, and partners is growing. And when our team grows, it puts us one step closer to changing the lives of 1 million people through clean water.
Water comes first. During this season of giving, I hope you’ll join me in making sure this is the case for all of our neighbors, at home and abroad.
Have a wonderful holiday season!
Chris Long
Waterboys Founder
Super Bowl Champion LI & LII
2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year
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The Chris Long Foundation: Now on Amazon Smile!
We’re thrilled to now give you a whole new way to bring clean water to communities in need: by simply shopping on Amazon!
While you’re looking for those items you buy every day of the week, you can now support The Chris Long Foundation at the exact same time. All you have to do is visit this link: smile.amazon.com/ch/47-6329563.
By shopping through our Amazon Smile page, Amazon will donate back to The Chris Long Foundation for every dollar you spend. |
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Athlete Feature:
Welcome De’Andre Hunter!
De’Andre Hunter is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks, and our newest member of Hoops2o!
One of the leaders of the 2019 NCAA Championship-winning UVA team, De’Andre was taken 4th Overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, signing with the Atlanta Hawks. Now, Hunter is a member of Hoops2o as well, committed to bringing clean water to one million people.
Support De’Andre by clicking here!
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