A FINtastic thank you to Langley Divers, Canada for completing their second indoor pool Finathon™.

This April a team of 12 raised $1,200 swimming to end finning. Les Newman, PADI Course Director at Langley Diving was introduced to the Finathon idea in 2011.

 “I love sharks.  I’ve been in the water with them on every continent from Great Whites in Cape Town, to Thailand, the Caribbean, the Red Sea, Australia, the South Pacific, Florida and California!  I would rather dive with sharks than people.  I have a pretty good idea what the shark will do but can’t always count on my buddy,” says Les.

Les plans to make the Finathon™ a yearly event on his scuba calendar, the perfect event for winter months when there’s less scuba diving activities outdoors.

Ten Finathon™ Tips from Langley Divers

• It’s more about participation and having fun than logging time or distance.
• We had some prizes from our suppliers for every participant.  Largest prize to the person who raised the most. 
• Involve whole family including kids and the wider community.
• Use the event to raise awareness about shark issues - 40 spectators checked out our poolside display about sharks.
• Have a mascot like Bruce the Shark to create a talking point.
• Use a Divemaster as a spokesperson to answer questions from the public.
• Get into the water and have fun!
• Contact your local newspaper.  They love local interest stories and the advertising is free – Project AWARE has a sample press release for you.
• Promote the event in newsletters, Facebook, Twitter web page using AWARE’s free tools http://www.projectaware.org/resource/finathon-action-kit
• We invited participants to raise sponsorship for:
  • Swim or snorkel distance (km’s or laps)
  • Time in the water or under water
  • A simple donation

Congratulations to all the swimmers involved and thanks again Langley Divers!

For more information on organising aFinathon™ at your local pool email [email protected]

Support a Finathon™ today – www.finathon.org