For 10 years, a Washington-based hot tub retailer has made it the company’s mission to make a quantifiable impact on local non-profits. Olympic Hot Tub’s Honoring Heroes event has been one of their major claims to fame over the last decade, and this year’s event was no different.
The event, which always takes place in April, is a month-long fundraiser at Olympic Hot Tub designed to put a spotlight on “heroes” of the community, like military members, first responders and public school teachers.
The drive for community impact has been a longstanding pillar for the company. President Don Riling tells AQUA, “When I bought Olympic, I wanted to work on raising the philanthropic profile for the company by creating a couple signature fundraising events. I planted both in months that are typically lower sales months in the hopes that 1) some customers might choose to buy that month to help support a local non-profit, and 2) people connected to the non-profit we chose — whether members, volunteers or donors — who had maybe thought of a wellness purchase might get inspired to act so their charity would benefit.”
The inception of events like Honoring Heroes has also given Riling and his team a chance to create a new culture at Olympic — one that emphasizes the importance of being good community stewards beyond running a strong business. “I want Olympic to be about improving the health and wellness of our customers, as well as the health and wellness of the communities in which we do business,” he says.
Ever since the first year, this event has been making waves in their community. “Our first event raised $13,100 in 2017 for JBLM Fisher House,” Riling says. “Our peak year was, of course, during the pandemic when we enjoyed brisk sales activity. We were fortunate to donate $45,000 to the Washington State Nurses Foundation. At the end of this year’s event, we’ll have donated over $250,000 to local non-profits.”
To ring in their 10th year of Honoring Heroes, Olympic Hot Tub partnered with King County Search and Rescue Association (KCSARA), an umbrella organization that ensures its volunteer units have the “advocacy, support and resources necessary to bring loved ones home,” explains the association’s executive director, Carrie Lee Gagnon. “We represent a force of over 600 unpaid professionals — neighbors, coworkers and friends — who step away from their lives at a moment’s notice to save others.”
In order to support KCSARA’s 100% volunteer, free to the public, donation and grant-funded units, Olympic Hot Tub pledged to donate a portion of every Hot Spring Spa, Endless Pool and Tylo Sauna purchase made in the month of April to the organization. The goal, the official press release reads, was to “raise a minimum of $18,000 to directly support KCSARA’s vital operations, ensuring they have the resources they need to continue their lifesaving work.”
It goes without question that Olympic Hot Tub’s dedication to their community will have long-lasting effects. For KCSARA, Gagnon jokes, a sauna may also be in the association’s future. “It does have to be said that our volunteers are now very much asking for us to include an Olympic Hot Tub sauna — or two! — when we finally get a future headquarters!”
Looking ahead to many years of philanthropic efforts, Riling says it’s all about gratitude. “[The best part] is mainly my continued desire for us to give back,” he says. “I feel very fortunate to have ended up being in the position to continue Olympic’s legacy in the hot tub industry, and giving back is one way I can say thank you.”
