Long-standing charity even supporters Tim and Sue Watt were recognised for their long commitment to Ski for Life when they were recently inducted as patrons.

Mr and Ms Watt were one of the Ski for Life founding families, involved with the event every year since it began 10 years ago.

Ski for Life is dedicated to raising awareness and creating conversations about mental health, well-being and suicide prevention.

The participating teams ski 456km along the Murray River for three days, raising approximately $290,000 this year.

The money goes back into communities as grants for groups undertaking projects associated with their mission of raising awareness about suicide prevention, mental health and wellbeing.

Mr Watt said the induction was a nice surprise and he felt honoured because it was the first time anyone had been inducted into the organisation.

“I feel enormously proud that our 10 years of effort had been noticed, we have grown to the point of 330 people in the room with us acknowledging the effort of the four of us,” he said.

“But I feel the message is peer recognition for the wider community and the people in it that have participated in our idea.

“It’s for everyone, we have got the plaque but everyone involved has made it what it is today and that’s what really floats my boat.”

The Watt family shares a love for water skiing and Mr Watt said Ski for Life was personal to him because he lost his brother and a close cousin to suicide.

“For me, it was about doing something to try and create some positive change to that outcome,” he said.

Ski for Life chairman Mark Facy has been involved for five years and he skied in Mr and Ms Watt’s team with his son, Henry, in his first year.

Mr Facy said the cause and drive behind the organisation drove him to participate each year and said the event this year was brilliant.

“It’s a love of water skiing and the intention and the desire to address this significant issue touching not only those directly impacted but also those surrounding them,” he said.

Mr Watt said the 2022 event was the biggest year yet, with the event filled to capacity in eight minutes on opening of registrations in November.

In its first year, Ski for Life had two boats and 20 participants, and this year they had 33 team boats and 330 people from all around Australia.

Mr Watt said there were lots of new teams involved this year and there were three teams from Mount Gambier and one from Penola, along with a chase boat team from Mount Gambier.