Water Blogged

Water Ball 2026 raises $140,147 and counting

That number alone would make Water Ball 2026 a pretty extraordinary success.

But if you were in the room with us, you know the number is only part of the story.

Water Ball 2026 was built around The Ripple Effect, the idea that one action can travel farther than we ever imagine.

And throughout the evening, we got to watch that happen.

We heard from young people with ideas. We met people who believe in them. We saw what happens when communities get behind them. We followed those ripples halfway around the world.

And then nearly 200 people in a room in Minnesota raised their paddles and decided to create a few ripples of their own.

Turns out, ripples can get pretty expensive when an auctioneer is involved.

The Real Stars of the Evening

We could share a lot of impressive statistics about H2O for Life.

We did, in fact. There were slides and everything.

But the people who really told our story were the ones who took the stage.

Alexzandrea Chanthalinh, an alum of our High School Fellowship Program, showed us what can happen when a young person is given an opportunity and discovers something incredibly powerful:

“Wait. I can do something.”

Then Wes Meier, Co-Founder and CEO of Cova, helped us follow that action halfway around the world, showing how safe water solutions are changing lives in rural communities and schools across Central America.

And then came Ben Butters and the Matoska International Water Warriors.

Fifth graders Ellie and Liv took the stage to share their experience. Later, they returned with their fellow Water Warriors to perform an original song about their connection to the global water crisis.

And, as anyone who was there can confirm, they absolutely stole the show.

Apparently the secret to nonprofit storytelling is fewer Executive Directors and more fifth graders.

Noted.

But underneath the laughter was something important.

Those young people weren’t on stage because someday they might become changemakers.

They’re changemakers now.

Someone believed in them. Someone gave them an opportunity to act. And they ran with it.

That’s the ripple.

And Then the Room Responded

After hearing those stories, our guests had an opportunity of their own.

And wow, did they take it.

Paddles went up. Auction items found new homes. People gave generously. And somewhere along the way, a few people probably went home wondering exactly how they were going to explain their purchases the next morning.

All for a good cause.

When the dust settled, Water Ball 2026 had raised:

$140,147

And we’re still counting.

That’s well beyond the $120,000 goal we set for the evening.

More importantly, those dollars will create more opportunities for young people to learn, lead and act while helping make clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects possible for schools around the world.

That photo might be one of my favorites from the entire night.

Because that’s what a ripple looks like.

None of This Happens Alone

One of the themes we talked about throughout Water Ball was that big things rarely start big.

They start with someone doing one thing.

And then someone else gets behind them.

Water Ball itself works exactly the same way.

We are incredibly grateful to the organizations that got behind us this year:

Mains’l Services
Robins Kaplan
Kinetico/Aquarius
Pentair
Midway Container
Premier Banks
Soul Chiro

Thank you for putting your names, resources and trust behind this work. Your support helped make the evening possible before the first paddle ever went into the air.

And thank you to Meadow de Fleur, who donated the beautiful floral arrangements throughout the room and somehow made a bunch of people fighting over bourbon and Florida vacations look very sophisticated while doing it.

Twenty Years In

Water Ball also officially kicked off H2O for Life’s 20th anniversary year.

Twenty years.

Nearly one million young people engaged.

More than 1,300 water and sanitation projects made possible.

More than 600,000 young people around the world benefiting from improved water, sanitation and hygiene each year.

And after twenty years, we’ve learned something.

This work doesn’t begin with giant numbers.

It begins much smaller.

A young person.
An idea.
An opportunity to act.
Someone who believes in them.
A community that gets behind them.
A connection halfway around the world.

One action.

Then another.

Then another.

Ripples.

That’s how we got here.

And it’s how we’ll get where we’re going next.

A Small but Mighty Team

I also have to take a moment to recognize the people who somehow turned months of spreadsheets, emails, phone calls, auction packages, seating charts, last-minute changes and me saying, “Okay, I have one more idea…” into an incredible evening.

Emilee, Sahra, Steve and Andrew: thank you.

There aren’t many of us.

But this team continues to demonstrate that a small group of committed people can accomplish some pretty extraordinary things, especially when they have caffeine, shared Google Docs and a deadline.

And to our board, volunteers, speakers, sponsors and everyone else who contributed time, talent, connections or resources to Water Ball: thank you.

The Ripple Is Still Growing

The best part?

We’re not done.

If you weren’t able to join us at Water Ball, or if the evening left you thinking “Wait. I can do something,” there’s still an opportunity to be part of this year’s ripple.

Right now, additional gifts are being matched dollar for dollar, up to $50,000.

So your ripple can travel twice as far.

Join the Ripple and make a gift

We’re twenty years in.

And we’re just getting started.

Be the Ripple.