On December 7^th Fort Myers Country Club will be the site of the launch of a national amateur city team golf series to raise awareness of a $100 million Global Water Initiative (GWI) to clean the world's waterways. The series will provide golfing opportunities at some of the best golf courses in America including Firestone, Oakmont, Congressional, TPC Stadium and Pebble Beach.   "At American Marine University Research Institute (AMURI) our goal is to provide clean, safe usable water now and for future generations," said AMURI President Jim Simons. “Each day, AMURI's expertise is used to turn ideas into workable solutions. We take the best ideas, often co-developed under our federal cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and/or our preferred research partners and apply them directly to our world's most environmental and health-threatening water-related disasters.”   The $100 million initiative will be powered by the golf world using the model of the highly successful First Tee program that today has 1,200 chapters and reaches more than 2 million kids annually. “In 1998 I had the privilege of being selected by the PGA Tour to start the First Tee program with former President George HW Bush as our chairman," said JD Daniel, senior vice president of AMURI. “With the generous support of major golf organizations and fortune 100 companies, we raised $100 million the first year. We anticipate similar success with the cleansing water platform, an issue that affects every person on the planet.”   “A snapshot of the current situation shows the entire coast of Mississippi closed, dogs dying all over the country and 1/3 of Lake Okeechobee full of algae. This is a true environmental disaster playing out in the news media every day,” said Daniel.   At the heart of the AMURI-GWI is a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between the Federal Government and AMURI. This agreement enables the best water cleansing technologies to be deployed immediately into Lake Okeechobee, the Great Lakes and the ever-growing 7,000 square mile dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. "We are not about raising money to conduct another 50-year study on why 43% of the water in America is already considered contaminated, we are about getting systems in the water that can kill harmful algae blooms today,” said Simons.   The AMURI Golf Series will grow to 36 regional events where the winning team will represent their city and compete at the World Golf Village for a national championship in the fall of 2020. Each year the series will grow to help raise awareness of the world's most environmental and health-threatening water-related disasters. "The golf series will be a fun local way a team can support clean water with a chance to play some of the best golf courses in the world and help their city compete for a national championship,” said Nick Dakos, Florida state director of AMURI.  “For nongolfers we have plenty of opportunities to help through volunteer programs with America Marine University, becoming a local city ambassador and up to a state director. Anyone concerned about their child or pet coming in contact with a local pond and becoming ill should join our team.”   Communities, organizations and individuals interested in being part of the Global Water Initiative should contact JD Daniel at (904) 910-5318 or jddaniel@amuresearch.com or visit www.amuresearch.com.   For information about participating in or sponsoring the Fort Myers golf tournament, contact Nick Dakos at (239) 470-8825 or ndakos@aol.com.