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Los Angeles, Calif.
(September 27, 2016) –
Well-known environmental activists Adrian Grenier and Sir
Richard Branson completed a unique swim challenge in
conjunction with the Lonely Whale Foundation and Ocean Unite
with the goal of spotlighting the critical importance of
ocean health.
Yesterday at 11:00 a.m., Grenier and Branson
began the
2.05
mile open swim, launching from the
southern tip of mainland Italy and finishing at Sicily’s
Cato Peloro beach, accompanied by boats with lifeguards for
every three swimmers.
Previously this year on World Oceans Day
(June 8), Grenier and Branson joined to ask people
everywhere to #MakeASplash by submitting a photo or video
explaining “how
much you appreciate the ocean and everything it provides,”
which has earned 265M social media impressions and 9K posts
from more than 120 organizations and individuals.
As an extension of #MakeASplash, and as a
part of the annual Virgin Strive Challenge, the 66-year-old
Branson challenged the 40-year-old Grenier to join him in an
act of swimming stamina to show how individuals can take
action to effect change on our shared planet. The challenge
is a metaphor for how, when we work together, we can go
further, faster, which is what is needed to improve ocean
health more quickly than our current rate of change.
“It's hard to swim in open ocean, but I
accepted the challenge to overcome my personal limitations.
And I knew I could do it, as I know that we, together, can
overcome the challenges that face our civilization, and save
the precious resources that is our ocean,”Adrian
said.
The Lonely Whale
Foundation launched in 2015 to develop empathy for marine
life and inspire action that improves ocean health. Inspired
by the documentary film about finding 52Hz (52: The
Search for the Loneliest Whale),
the Foundation provides K-5th grade education on marine
animals and ecosystems and engagement initiatives like #MakeASplash.
Through Adrian Grenier's role as its social good advocate,
Dell developed Cry
Out: The Lonely Whale Virtual Reality Experience,
a fully immersive underwater expedition that transports
viewers into the depths of the sea to witness underwater
life and the impact of pollution. Please visit http://www.lonelywhale.org. |