GILI Sports offers an opportunity to experience the ocean from an entirely new perspective. The adventure sports company produces inflatable stand up paddle boards, while simultaneously raising awareness about ocean threats and investing in marine conservation projects.
In 2020, GILI Sports partnered with CORAL and generously donated to our programs that focus on protecting coral reefs—some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet.
The Story Behind GILI’s Paddle Boards
GILI Sports was founded by Jay Regan, a passionate diver, surfer, and all-around ocean-lover. His experiences are vast, ranging from diving with bull sharks to living on a tropical island in Southeast Asia. Through GILI Sports, he has been able to share his love of the water and use the business as a platform to advocate for a healthy ocean.
“As a diver, I hate seeing bleached reefs,” says Regan. “[Coral reefs] are ecosystems for the millions of fish we have in the world.” According to Regan, CORAL’s transparency and direct impact on key reef ecosystems is what inspired him to give to our coral reef programs.
“I feel like we’re doing something good and also providing a really great product for people to use.” In fact, many of GILI’s customers strongly resonate with the company’s charitable mission and the fact that they can have a direct impact when purchasing a paddle board.
Our Partnership with GILI Sports
To support coral reef conservation, GILI Sports designed a special “Save Our Reefs” paddle board and donates a portion of its sales to CORAL. And as an added bonus, Regan is maximizing the company’s impact this year by contributing to CORAL’s Earth Day campaign.
GILI has generously agreed to match up to $15,000 of donations made between now and Earth Day, on April 22, 2022. This incredible contribution will go toward projects that manage wastewater pollution, support healthy fisheries, invest in cutting-edge science, and other initiatives that contribute to coral reef health.
Making an Impact: Creating a Long-term Donation Model
There are many ways adventure sports companies, like GILI Sports, can support the environment in meaningful ways. Regan suggests anything from organizing beach clean-ups to using recycled materials to simply finding initiatives that resonate with your customer-base.
“I always look at what’s sustainable,” says Regan. By creating a charitable component at GILI, it allows for a bigger overall impact that can continue for years to come.
We applaud GILI Sports and its founder, who are doing what they can to repopulate important marine species, revive our valuable coral reef ecosystems, and ultimately keep our oceans—and planet—healthy.
Want to double your impact with GILI Sports’ Earth Day Match? Learn how you can contribute today.