Fishier Than Ever: Thank You for an Incredible Fish Fun(d) 2026
Giant creatures riding bikes down the Greenway. A tree-inspired fashion show. Trash-themed carnival games. Costumes. Dancing. And a whole lot more. But we want to start with two simple words:
THANK YOU.
On Thursday, August 6, our friends, neighbors, volunteers, partners, river lovers, bike riders, wonderfully costumed creatures, and longtime WRWC supporters packed Farm Fresh Rhode Island to celebrate 25 years of restoring the Woonasquatucket River and to support the work still ahead.
It Takes a Watershed to Throw a Fish Fun(d)
A huge thank you to our marvelous hosts at Farm Fresh Rhode Island and their phenomenal events team for giving our fishy crew a home for the evening.
Harvest Kitchen kept everyone extremely well fed, New Harvest Coffee & Spirits kept the drinks flowing, and Wright’s made the night even sweeter with ice cream. Epic Renewal helped us keep the party greener with composting and recycling support throughout the event.
And a REALLY big thank you to Big Nazo, who didn’t simply come to Fish Fun(d). They joined our pre-party Greenway bike ride and then proceeded to party with us all night.
Our hosts with the most, Layla Farahbakhsh and Harry Aspinwall, kept the laughs coming, the energy high, and, very importantly, the donations flowing.
Maria Grace and the Tribal Love Collection brought fashion, culture, creativity, and trees together for a fantastic showcase celebrating our Nuestros Bosques and Arboleros programs.
Then Extraordinary Rendition Band closed out the party exactly as you’d expect: loudly, joyfully, and with everybody moving.
We were also stoked to feature Dave Allyn’s ceramic fish, Sophie Foulkes’ artistic Greenway maps, and 15 Minute Field Trips’ beautiful Woonasquatucket River Quilt.
And, of course, thank you to our incredible WRWC staff and volunteers who made the whole thing work behind the scenes, including Hilary and Jenny, who absolutely nailed the food station. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Fishy Fun for Everyone
This year we introduced our free Fish Fun(d) Carnival, where kids and adults alike put their watershed skills to the test.
At Go Fish, the goal was to catch a fish without accidentally hooking a tire. The Trash Pickin’ Challenge put everyone’s cleanup skills to the test. It was weird, competitive, educational, and exactly what we hoped it would be.
Add in costumes, raffle prizes, dancing, giant puppets, incredible food, a fashion show, and a whole lot of wonderfully weird watershed energy, and we’d say the Third Annual Fish Fun(d) lived up to its promise: Fishier than ever.
Honoring John Shaw
We also had the privilege of presenting John Shaw with the first Laureen Ratti Volunteer Appreciation Award, honoring his many years of extraordinary service to WRWC.
Our work has always depended on people who keep showing up for the river and their community, year after year. John is one of those people.
Thank you, John, for everything you’ve given to WRWC.
$25,000 Down. $25,000 to Go.
This was a party, but it was also a fundraiser, and you all showed up in a BIG way.
Together, we raised $25,000 in the room that night.
Those dollars support WRWC’s Bike Education, Environmental Education, Greenway, Community Action, Nuestros Bosques, Recreation, and Climate Resilience & Green Infrastructure programs.
They put people on bikes and boats. They bring students outside. They help residents become community leaders. They restore habitat, improve public spaces, expand the Greenway, and help neighborhoods prepare for a changing climate.
And we’re only halfway there.
Our 2026 Fish Fun(d) goal is $50,000, and there’s still time to help us reach it.
To everyone who bought a ticket, donated, volunteered, performed, cooked, poured a drink, rode a bike, modeled an outfit, played a carnival game, wore a ridiculous costume, danced with a giant creature, or simply showed up because you care about the Woonasquatucket:
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Here’s to 25 years of the Woonasquatucket, and to everything we’ll accomplish together in the next 25.
Now let’s get to $50K.