A little over a year ago, we made a simple promise: offer one Hawaii water therapy retreat to a first responder following our Surf with a First Responder event. It felt like a small gesture — one way to say thank you to someone who gives so much.
That single experience opened something we couldn't have predicted. The response — the need — made clear that this couldn't stop at one retreat.
So this May, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Wander Well and 2 Walk on Water are formally launching our First Responder Wellness Campaign: a growing national movement built on one clear commitment.
To give back to those who give everything.
Who this is for
This campaign is open to the true first responders of our communities — the people who show up when no one else can.
Firefighters · Law enforcement · Military & veterans · Nurses & medical providers · EMTs · Teachers · Frontline workers
Anyone who carries others' weight every single day.
These are people who rarely ask for help. This is our way of building the access before they have to ask.
What we're offering
Participants can apply for fully supported or below-cost wellness retreats and experiences, starting with:
Water therapy and healing at our home base in the islands — including our Pokai Bay property in Waianae.
Immersive aquatic experiences designed to restore and reset mind and body.
Resort access through Club Wyndham & WorldMark, vacation homes, boutique hotels, and B&Bs across the U.S. and beyond.
Every stay is paired with curated experiences built around real restoration:
Tools for lasting change
A great retreat can shift something. But we want to give participants tools that go home with them. Every participant also receives access to:
Complimentary certification training rooted in water-based healing modalities — tools to carry forward long after the retreat ends.
Free daily encouragement, accountability, and peer-support guidance via text. Always available, always human-centered.
Reduced-cost testing with a customized lifestyle report covering diet, stress response, and mental health — because healing looks different for everyone.
The event that started it all — Surf with a First Responder, where one retreat became a movement.
Join the movement
This campaign grows through community. Here's how you can be part of it:
If you can give
- Own a vacation home
- Operate a hotel or retreat space
- Offer wellness or outdoor experiences
We'd love to partner with you. Reach out directly to get involved and be part of this mission.
If you know a hero
- Share this post with them
- Tag them in our campaign
- Submit their name for consideration
Sometimes the hardest part is someone else saying: "you deserve this."
This May, we're not just raising awareness —
we're creating access to healing.
Mahalo for being part of the journey. 🙏
— Wander Well & 2 Walk on Water