A pool, a team of passionate divers, a celebrity shark, and a cause worth fighting for were the perfect ingredients for a successful Finathon® organized in Florida last December!

Aqua Hands, a PADI dive centre specialized in scuba diving trips and dive courses for people fluent in American Sign Language, made a big splash for sharks in their local community by organizing a fundraising challenge in support of Project AWARE's Finathon®.

Finathon events go a long way towards helping Project AWARE Fight, Insist and Negotiate for better, stronger and enforced strategies and policies to protect sharks and rays in peril.

Seventeen children accompanied by their parents joined an enthusiastic group of divers to raise funds and awareness for shark and ray conservation on December 7, 2014 at the Long Center Sports Complex in Clearwater, Florida.

The excitment reached its peak when the children received a surprise visit from celebrity shark, Phinley, the mascot of the Clearwater Threshers baseball team.

Phinley has made a promise to return for the second annual Aqua Hands Finathon® in 2015 and it is hoped his appearance will eventually become a tradition.

For more information about taking part in a Finathon® or organizing your own fundraising challenge, go to finathon.org and download these FINtastic resources to help organize your event.