For those of us in the non-profit sector of the water community we not only struggle with the challenges of the technical and administrative sides of our jobs but we are also constantly searching for those funding sources that can keep us going for another year. The burn-out factor is high and we often rely on the satisfaction of the work to pull us through but that can only go so far. The annual River Rally is my reset button. It is an annual event that re-boots my system and recharges me for another year. I have been attending these River Rally for 12 years now which probably accounts for my longevity in this business and this year was especially useful and fun (with emphasis on fun).
 
It is a time to reconnect with colleagues all across the country and the globe to compare notes and learn from each other. The four days of Rally is filled with 12 different tracks of workshops depending on your specific needs. They range from fundraising, organizational health, monitoring, local issues, global issues, technical issues and personal health. It is intermixed with excellent plenary speakers, banquets and social events. This year the Rally was combined with the Waterkeeper Alliance and sold out at 750 people. We heard from inspirational speakers like the EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Alexandra Cousteau and Robert Kennedy, Jr. River Rally 2012, the largest gathering ever of clean water advocates, is now history but put Rally 2013 on your calendar for next year. It will be held in St. Louis from May 17^th-20^th. I hope to see you there. If you didn’t make the National River Rally then perhaps you should consider joining the Colorado version of the Rally at the Westin Hotel in Avon October 9^th-11^th. You won’t be disappointed.