Sage/RIO/Redington Fundraiser Nets $60,000 for Bristol Bay Protection

The 300 ready-to-fish fly rod, reel and line packages that Sage, RIO and Redington put together for a one-day fundraiser back in April have resulted in a donation of $60,000 to Trout Unlimited – Alaska for research and communication surrounding the effort to protect Bristol Bay. The three companies were already early supporters of Felt Soul Media’s “Red Gold” film project, and a follow-up donation based on matching gifts is expected to reach $40,000. You can find out more about the importance of protecting Alaska’s Bristol Bay at www.savebristolbay.org.
For more details, read the full press release.

One Day For Bristol Bay
Sage, Redington & RIO donate $60,000 to Trout-Unlimited Alaska
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA – Friday, April 18th was a very special day for the employees of Sage Manufacturing, Redington Tackle and Apparel & RIO. The companies celebrated One Day For Bristol Bay, a fundraising initiative announced this winter to raise money for Trout Unlimited’s campaign to protect the Bristol Bay watershed from open-pit mining interests.
In addition to over 170 employees in attendance, Tim Bristol, Director of Trout Unlimited Alaska, and Travis Rummel, Filmmaker from Felt Soul Media, made a special visit to Bainbridge Island as honored guests at the event.
Travis Rummel brought a sneak peak of Felt Soul’s documentary Red Gold, a 40-minute film about how the looming Pebble Mine will effect the people and characteristics of Alaska’s Bristol Bay region. Sage, Redington and RIO previously donated more than $10,000 to Felt Soul Media for the development of the documentary.
Another highlight of the afternoon was the surprise presentation of the initial $60,000 donation to Tim Bristol and TU-Alaska. The donation is earmarked for conservation activities efforts dealing with the proposed Bristol Bay mining district as well as production, marketing and distribution of the film Red Gold. A large portion of the money will go toward scientific studies and research concerning water quality and fish health in the watershed, which started to take place this summer.
The donation money came from a fundraiser Sage, Redington and RIO developed this winter, when the companies launched One Day For Bristol Bay. The three companies teamed up on 300 limited edition More Precious Than Gold ready to fish outfit that includes a Sage 890-4 Z-Axis fly rod, and a Redington 7/8 CD reel that’s prespooled with RIO Gold fly line. From each outfit sold to either dealers or consumers, the companies donated $200 to Trout Unlimited Alaska’s Save Bristol Bay campaign efforts. The outfit is valued at over $875, but is being offered for to customers for only $600.
“Our customers and dealers have helped us make this significant donation to TU-Alaska and we want to thank them for that. We set up a matching program, where dealers and consumers can choose to make an additional donation, up to a matched $200 donation, for the campaign.” States Karen Curry, Redington’s Marketing Manager. “We have a few outfits still available. Our goal is to make an additional donation of $40,000 by the end of the year, bringing the total donation to $100,000, which is, in our eyes, a small price to pay for the health and vitality of this precious watershed.”
For additional information, please contact Karen Curry, Redington Marketing Manager, [email protected]
For more much more information about this campaign, we encourage you to visit:
www.savebristolbay.org.