"It is with pleasure that I offer this note about the importance of Govfest’s long-standing association with Ryan’s Well Foundation.

It feels like yesterday that we made a phone call to ask a water charity if they could use funds from a small workplace music event. That was 20 years ago and it was only the beginning!

At Govfest, we host arts and music events from the public service community to raise funds for two partner charities, United Way and Ryan’s Well Foundation. Since 2005, Govfest has featured hundreds of musicians and artists, with events and stages spanning Kingston, Toronto, Mississauga, St. Catharines, and beyond. From the outset, we have been driven by a desire to do more and our charitable partnerships have been a powerful source of inspiration and direction.

Our partnership with Ryan’s Well has profoundly shaped how we understand volunteerism and the power of connecting people across the world to strengthen communities. We support Ryan’s Well with 50% of the proceeds from our events. Ryan’s Well supports us tremendously with information about their work and by attending and speaking at our events. They helped us arrange dedicated well projects, including one in Uganda named after a founding Govfest member. We have plans for another in the future. That direct connection between our efforts and tangible local impact is central to the Govfest story and to why our volunteers remain so deeply engaged.

From the very beginning, we saw the Ryan’s Well team bring together funding, science, geology, strong management, and volunteer commitment to achieve extraordinary things. Their work has led to the installation of more than 1,800 water and sanitation projects across 17 countries, providing safe water and hygiene resources to hundreds of thousands of people, with lasting benefits for health, education, and community resilience.

Govfest is deeply honoured to have played even a small role in Ryan’s Well Foundation’s remarkable journey. Knowing that our contributions directly support this work gives our community enduring motivation to continue volunteering and building connections, both locally and globally.

We extend our sincere thanks to the dedicated people at Ryan’s Well for their generosity, collaboration, and support over the years. From our perspective, your work has made the world more connected and kinder.

Twenty years ago, Govfest may have thought we were simply putting on shows. Partnering with Ryan’s Well ensured that our efforts could contribute to enduring, meaningful change in communities around the world."

• Paul Burns, Govfest