JOIN THE MOVEMENT
World-Record Ocean Rowing Expedition To Accelerate Ocean Plastic Solutions
Mission Timeline
-
September 25
Global Announcement -
November 19 (approx.)
Expedition begins from Hawaii -
March-April, 2024
Expedition complete in Australia
(goal: 115 days)
Welcome from Tez
United World Challenge | Giving Circle
With your support, the United World Challenge will accelerate the work of our nonprofit partners to build river barriers in the most polluted regions of the world preventing plastic from flowing to sea.
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General Donation Page Link
https://unitedworldchallenge.givingcircles.io?r=challenge
Email Copy 1
Subject
My mind is blown!
Body
Hi [Name],
My friend Tez is about to do something insane: he’s going to row a small boat from Hawaii to Australia, by himself.
He just announced the expedition. I’m totally blown away and am so excited to share it with you.
It’s a World Record expedition with his nonprofit, United World Challenge. But it isn’t just some test of will or show of strength.
Tez is on a mission to help solve the ocean plastic crisis. And while he spends 4 months alone at sea rowing 5,000 miles to Australia, he’ll be sharing the journey live on socials to raise funds for ocean plastic solutions.
Reading about this mission, I was shocked to learn we’re on course to have more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050.
But as Tez will show us with this wild journey, no ocean is too great to cross. And together, anything is possible – even stopping the ocean plastic crisis.
I’ve already contributed to the mission. Will you join me? [>>INSERT CAMPAIGN LINK<<]
Let’s make waves,
[Name]
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Subject
Could you survive 4 months alone at sea?
Body
Hi [Name],
2,700 miles, 71 days, all alone crossing the Pacific in a rowboat.
This was Tez Steinberg’s first United World Challenge, rowing from California to Hawaii in summer of 2020.
Now, he’s about to row even farther and for greater impact.
This November Tez gets back in his seven-meter boat to cross the rest of the Pacific: a 5,000-mile solo row from Hawaii to Australia, non-stop.
All to stop the most urgent challenge we face on our planet: our ocean plastic crisis.
Research shows we’re on track to have more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.
But it’s still possible to change course.
That’s why we’re writing to you. Check out Tez’s announcement video that was just released today, and join me in supporting the United World Challenge!
Let’s give back to our oceans. Let’s restore our planet’s health. Let’s turn the tide on plastic pollution together with our friend Tez and the United World Challenge.
We’ve already contributed to the mission. Will you join us? [>>INSERT CAMPAIGN LINK<<]
Let’s make waves,
[Name]
Social Copy 1
Can you imagine spending months alone at sea in a rowboat?
This November my friend Tez Steinberg will attempt something unthinkable: rowing from from Hawaii to Australia, solo and non-stop.
He’s on a mission to raise funds for ocean plastics solutions.
Today is day one of this campaign. Check out the link in the comments! 🚀
I’m so inspired by Tez – and when you check out his video, you will be, too. Will you join me in supporting this mission that our world needs so much?
[>>INSERT CAMPAIGN LINK<<]
Social Copy 2
When my friend Tez’s dad died by suicide in 2016, he did something incredible to process the loss: he rowed a boat across the Pacific Ocean by himself.
Now Tez is preparing to row all the way to Australia, while sharing the story live to help solve ocean plastic. The row begins this November, but I’m already inspired and can’t wait to see what happens next.
Check out his video here!
Press Release 1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Information:
Kyle Plasha
Media Relations, United World Challenge
267-221-3043
Media@unitedworldchallenge.org
WORLD-FIRST SOLO ROW ACROSS THE PACIFIC FROM HAWAII TO AUSTRALIA
Tez Steinberg, founder of the United World Challenge, will solo-row 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to raise funds and action to solve the growing ocean plastic crisis.
HAWAII – After losing his father to suicide, Tez Steinberg, founder of the United World Challenge, solo-rowed 2,700 miles from California to Hawaii in the summer of 2020. The expedition raised $77,000 for scholarships for peace and global awareness about ocean conservation.
Now this November, Tez takes on a second challenge – rowing 5,000 miles solo and non-stop from Hawaii to Australia. He hopes the row will take four months and two million oar strokes to complete. Watch this video announcement for more details.
In Tez’s first expedition to Hawaii, he rowed through immeasurable amounts of plastic. Inspired to help, he quit his day job at Deloitte Consulting and went full-time as CEO of United World Challenge. Together with the nonprofit’s leading partners such as Ocean Conservation Network, The International SeaKeepers Society, and CRDC Global, Expedition 2 will be a zero-waste mission and gather critical data for ocean research.
The oceans are hotter than ever before due to Global Warming, and with El Niño in full effect, ocean temperatures will continue to break records. Tez will document the impact of these temperatures and the impact of the ocean plastic crisis for researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and other leading institutions.
By gathering eDNA data to show a “fingerprint” of biodiversity and data on microplastic prevalence, the United World Challenge and their research partners aim to discover the impact of microplastics on marine health, and to help answer the mystery of where most ocean plastic goes. Up to 90% of ocean plastic is “missing” – researchers do not know where most plastic goes after flowing into the ocean – and this expedition aims to help answer that question.
In addition to gathering data for research, United World Challenge will run a global crowdfund to invest in infrastructure projects alongside their Partner, Sungai Watch, to prevent the flow of plastics into the ocean in Indonesia.
“World Economic Forum research shows that unless we change course, we’ll have more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050,” says Tez. “That’s why the United World Challenge is raising funds and action to help solve this crisis, by stopping plastic before it flows into the ocean.”
During his four months alone at sea, Tez anticipates facing towering waves, tropical storms, and temperatures routinely over 100 degrees for months on end. He’ll document the journey for a feature film and send photos, videos and blogs for followers in real time.
Tez hopes to finish the expedition in 115 days and arrive in Cairns, Australia mid-March 2024 to achieve both a “world-first” and Guinness World Record. Whether or not any records are achieved, however, is not the focus. The expedition’s main mission to raise funds to build river barriers in the world’s most polluted regions, preventing plastic from flowing out to sea.
“The ocean plastic crisis is a monumental threat, not only to marine life, but to our entire world,” says Tez. “It feels insurmountable, but like I remind myself, one oar stroke doesn’t seem to make a difference, but two million strokes will take me across the Pacific. Consistent, tiny actions show that no ocean is too great to cross.”
To join the movement and donate to the United World Challenge, visit unitedworldchallenge.org/donate.
To follow along on Tez Steinberg’s journey, visit @unitedworldchallenge on social media.
Contact media@unitedworldchallenge.org to request an interview with Tez ahead of his record-setting mission.
United World Challenge is fiscally sponsored by Far Away Projects, a California 501(c)3 non-profit organization (EIN 82-1917723)
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Brand Guidelines:
Shorthand for “United World Challenge” is “the Challenge.”
Do not abbreviate “United World Challenge” as “UWC”.
Tag @unitedworldchallenge on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
You’re welcome to also tag @TezSteinberg, especially on LinkedIn.
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EXPEDITION Sponsors
Impact Partners
Sungai Watch is one of the world's leading cleanup organizations. They're on a mission to stop plastic from entering the ocean by cleaning rivers and developing and designing simple barrier technologies to stop plastic before it flows to sea. With over 180 river barriers installed and maintained daily, Sungai Watch has collected over 1.5 million kg of plastic as of Sept 2023. Now the United World Challenge aims to help Sungai Watch expand to new regions and help them clean the world's most polluted rivers.
OCN.AI is like a FitBit for the ocean, using technology on buoys and boats to gather cutting-edge ocean health data. Together, we're outfitting the Challenge vessel with a series of sensors to collect real-time ocean health data, stored on the blockchain for researchers worldwide to access.
The United World Challenge Expedition 2 is a zero-waste expedition thanks to our partnership with CRDC Global. All plastic waste from the our expedition will be upcycled into CRDC's groundbreaking product, RESIN8, an environmental friendly substitute for sand used in concrete manufacturing.
Seakeepers and the United World Challenge are partnering on citizen science research projects to gather data across the Pacific Ocean on population dynamics of plankton and velella velella, important species for pelagic ecosystems. Together, we research, educate, protect and restore!
Far Away Projects is a 501(c)3 nonprofit fiscal sponsorship organization that supports global social impact projects and grassroots efforts around the world. Far Away provides the United World Challenge with nonprofit status and extensive backend support to grow our mission to help solve ocean plastic.
The United World Challenge is proud to be part of the 1% for the Planet community, which connects businesses and nonprofits to protect the environment. Learn more at onepercentfortheplanet.org
During Expedition 1, the United World Challenge partnered with Scripps Institution of Oceanography to gather world-first data for microplastic research. The United World Challenge will once again partner with Scripps to advance oceanic research during the next challenge with a series of world-first data collection methods.
The United World Challenge has partnered with Only One, a digital action platform for people who love the ocean and want to save the planet. By partnering with Only One, we will raise the profile of global action campaigns to advance the Global Plastics Treaty and other powerful movements for upstream solutions to the plastic crisis.
