A Recap of the 2024 Wild Prairie Showdown
The Great Outdoors Foundation and ICON Water Trails partnered again to hold the fourth annual Wild Prairie Showdown. With four esteemed individuals competing individually – and collectively – this event featured fundraising, fashion show, and interview categories. Team GOF included Tina “Mother Nature” Hadden and Odin “Protector of Midgard” McAnelly. Check out the photos and highlights below, and make sure to join us for the Wild Prairie Showdown next year!
THE EVENT
The Wild Prairie Showdown – Presented by Hubbell Realty Company – took place at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center on Thursday, October 10. A record-breaking $160,000 was raised for ICON Water Trails and the Great Outdoors Foundation. The event had nearly 400 in attendance and earned more than $40,000 over last year’s total.
THE PROGRAM
Our guests heard from Hannah Inman, CEO, Great Outdoors Foundation and Stephanie Oppel, Executive Director, ICON Water Trails, among others. They celebrated over $100 million raised for ICON, the unveiling of the Hubbell Trailhead at the Fleur Drive Dam, the Great Outdoors Foundation’s 30th anniversary and rebrand, and other major 2024 accomplishments.
THE AWARDS
At this year’s showdown, The Great Outdoors Foundation awarded the inaugural Creative Conservationist — presented by Bolton & Menk — to Patricia Boddy, Councilmember for the City of Urbandale. A licensed professional engineer, Boddy retired as a Senior Partner at RDG Planning and Design in 2019, after a long career in leadership in private business and government. She is a former member of the Great Outdoors Foundation Board of Directors and a current member of the ICON Water Trails Board of Directors.
ICON also presented its inaugural Waveshaper award to Rick Tollakson, President & CEO of Hubbell Realty Company. In addition to his professional accolades, leading Hubbell Realty Company and its subsidiaries for two decades, Tollakson has been a major proponent of water trails. His actions have led to significant support from the private sector for this transformational quality of life initiative. Tollakson serves on the ICON Water Trails Board of Directors as well as a number of its committees.
THE COMPETITION
Team GOF competed against Rene “The Trailblazer” Martinez and Annie “The Freshwater Mermaid” Brandt, representing Team ICON in the fundraising, fashion show, and interview categories. Jackie Schmillen, Director of Public Affairs for the Iowa National Guard, was emcee for the night.
THE MVPs
After competing in fundraising, fashion show, and interview categories, Martinez and Team ICON came out on top, securing the individual and team MVP awards. In addition to their peer-to-peer fundraising, the competitors gleaned more than 2700 votes from supporters at home and event attendees.
