ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) is celebrating this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month by showcasing its support to minimize the “Nature Gap” by bringing multicultural families into fishing and boating through its George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund.
Since the Education Fund was launched in 2014, more than $1 million has been granted to local organizations across the U.S., improving access to fishing, boating, and conservation education. Over $109,500 in grants were awarded in 2023, with state fish and wildlife agencies fully matching the amount, bringing the total funding to approximately $221,000 to support sixteen programs in eight states.
“Fishing participation among Latinx communities in the U.S. achieved record levels with 5.1 million participants. Still, only 18% are first-timers,” said Stephanie Hussey, Senior Director of Government Engagement at RBFF. “The George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund has been instrumental in bringing Latinx communities closer to fishing and boating through conservation education and access to on-the-water opportunities, therefore minimizing the ‘Nature Gap’ – a reality seen in so many outdoor activities.”
This year’s 2023 George H. W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund grantees nationwide include:
- California: Cast Hope, Friends of Fish, Outdoor Outreach, Reel Guppy Outdoors, and Solidarity
- Colorado: Colorado Wildlife Federation
- Florida: Fishing’s Future – Reel Blessed Chapter, Manatee County Natural Resources Department, Miami-Dade Parks Recreation and Open Spaces – EcoAdventures, Pasco County Parks Recreation and Natural Resources, and Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers
- Oklahoma: Scissortail Park Foundation
- Rhode Island: Partnership for Providence Parks
- South Dakota: Augustana University
- Texas: Fishing’s Future
- Virginia: Harrisonburg City Public Schools
For more information on the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund and the 2023 grantees, visit RBFF’s website.
About RBFF
The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) is a nonprofit whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. To help recruit, retain and reactivate participants, RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ brands which educate the public on fishing, boating and conservation while inspiring them to hit the water. RBFF offers consumer research, website plugins, marketing education and shareable content to help better connect industry stakeholders and government agencies with their customers.
About the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund
The George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund was created by RBFF in 2014 when Bass Pro Shops Founder and CEO Johnny Morris donated $125,000 in honor of his friend, the late President George H.W. Bush, to bring conservation education and fishing experiences to Hispanic families in key metro areas of Texas and Florida. With the continued funding support of Bass Pro Shops and donations from other companies, the Education Fund has expanded nationally to educate and engage Hispanic and multicultural audiences throughout the United States in fishing and boating with the support of RBFF’s Vamos A Pescar™ Hispanic outreach initiative.
For further information: Bruna Carincotte, bcarincotte@rbff.org, 202-743-9894.