Recapping the 2025 Wild Prairie Showdown
The Great Outdoors Foundation and ICON Water Trails partnered again to host the fifth annual Wild Prairie Showdown. This year, Team GOF and Team ICON were led by one individual competitor, with three alumni competitors offering each team support and expertise. The event raised a record-breaking $180,000 and had more than 400 in attendance.
THE EVENT
The Wild Prairie Showdown — Presented by Reilly Construction & United Contractors — was held at Val Air Ballroom on Thursday, October 16. The event featured dinner, a fashion show, live fundraising, interviews from competitors, and an awards ceremony. The energy in the room was palpable, with friends old and new cheering each other on throughout the event.
THE PROGRAM
Guests heard from several speakers during the event. Hannah Inman, CEO, Great Outdoors Foundation, announced Watershed26, a premier water quality summit to be held by the Great Outdoors Foundation on June 30-July 1, 2026. Chris Costa, GOF Board of Directors chair, shared exciting news of GOF’s continued commitment to water quality by investing $1.3 million from the Conservation Acceleration Fund (CAF) into green infrastructure within ICON’s downtown sites. Matt McKinney, ICON Board of Directors Co-Chair, shared statistics and figures from ICON’s work that sets the initiative apart in our region. Finally, Stephanie Oppel, Executive Director, ICON Water Trails, invited everyone to reflect on the evolution of ICON and the incredible efforts that have lead to its success today.
Hannah Inman, CEO
THE AWARDS
At this year’s Wild Prairie Showdown, GOF awarded the Creative Conservationist Award — presented by Bolton & Menk — to John Swanson, Polk County Water Resources Supervisor. Swanson is a champion for water quality, most notably leading Polk County’s ‘Batch and Build’ program. Bringing efficiency, speed, and funding to critical water quality projects, this program has installed 185 practices —treating 6,000 acres of tile drainage — to date. Swanson is a valued partner of GOF, working on several Conservation Acceleration Fund (CAF) projects and contributing his expertise to shared audiences.
ICON also presented its Waveshaper Award to the ICON Water Trails Capital Campaign Co-Chairs and Honorary Co-Chairs. Awardees include Steve Chapman, Allison Fleming, Suku Radia, Jim Cownie, Bill Knapp, Connie Wimer, and Steve Zumbach, whose individual and collective expertise propelled ICON from vision to reality, securing more than $33.5 million in private fundraising for the transformative initiative.
Connie Wimer (left), John Swanson (right)
THE COMPETITION
Team GOF was led by Jonny “Mountain Man” Kallen, and supported by returning alumni Katherine Harrington (’21), Cory Sharp (’21), and Emily Kessinger (’22). Team ICON was championed by Molly “Ms. Drizzle” Hanson, with Rene Martinez (’24), Annie Brandt (’24), and Emily Naylor (’23). All members participated in their respective teams ‘skit’, with individual competitors representing their team during interviews.
Jon Kallen (left)
THE MVP — MOST VALUABLE PHILANTHROPIST
After competing in fundraising, fashion show, and interview categories, Kallen and Team GOF came out on top. In addition to their collective fundraising efforts, Team GOF gathered the most votes from supporters during the event.
The 2025 Wild Prairie Showdown was one to remember. Thank you to everyone who attended, donated, and supported!
