There is no sugar-coating it, John, 2020 has been a difficult year.

Finding time to take care of ourselves, especially our mental health, has been hard.

As a music fan, I often retreat to my headphones, to find peace and a moment to reflect. My wife reads a book to find her peaceful moments, and we have a friend who takes to the river in his boat, to fish in the early morning. These moments, these places, and these activities, are as critical to our well-being as the fresh water that our rivers provide.

Click here to watch what rivers mean to a few of our staff.

There is a great song by Roberta Flack called “River.” In it she sings:
“There's a river somewhere, That flows through the lives of everyone...
There's a star in the sky, That brightens the lives of everyone..."

Some of us are lucky to be able to visit a real river during these challenging times. But sometimes the “rivers” that brighten our lives come in different shapes and sizes — a Zoom call with friends, a smile from a stranger, some outside time with your kids. Whatever they are for you, these “rivers” have been holding us up for the last eight months, and it’s time we gave a little back.

This Giving Tuesday, we’re offering a $20,000 match. All donations up to that amount will be doubled, giving us $40,000 worth of critical support for the rivers that hold us up. Please come back on Tuesday 12/1 to help us protect America’s Rivers.

This Thanksgiving, we hope you find your river, wherever it is.