Innovative Alumni Turn Water Into Scholarships

By randyramirez in Blog on July 19, 2010 at 2:57 pm | No Comments

Drink Water. Bleed Orange. Fund Scholarships.

The tagline of H₂Orange pretty much sums it up. 

The bottled water created by GSD&M co-founders and Life Members Tim McClure, BJ ’70, and Steve Gurasich, BJ ’71, is shaped like the UT Tower, and 8 percent of each sale (or roughly 40 percent of the company’s net profits) will be donated to the University for scholarships and fellowships. 

As a gentleman at the official launch of the water at the Tower this morning so aptly said, “Well that’s a good idea.”

That idea came to McClure three years ago while attending a dinner at the Blanton Museum of Art. Shaping the bottle like the Tower was inspired, but the truly innovating turn was the decision to fund scholarships through the sales. When McClure shared his idea with Jack Blanton, the evening’s guest of honor, Blanton’s eyes twinkled. 

The two got College of Fine Arts dean Doug Dempster involved and the trio pitched the idea to President Bill Powers, who, along with the Board of Regents, gave the Tower’s new role a green light.

The water will be available around Austin beginning in August and will be the exclusive water sold at the Texas Exes tailgates before each home game. It can also be found on a daily basis at Texas Expresso in the Alumni Center. 

While H₂Orange is so much more than a typical bottle of water, it won’t cost more. Single bottles will retail between $1.19 and $1.49. The company hopes to annually donate $1 million to the University. “H₂Orange-bloods” can check out the progress on their website, H2Orange.com.