Aurora community raises $26,000 for water system in Haiti
By Stephanie Hunsberger For The Beacon-News September 21, 2011 1:34PM
Members of Faith Lutheran Church pray before buckets of water during a Walk for Water event on Saturday to raise awareness and funds for areas of the world that lack adequate access to clean water supplies. Event organizers said the church exceeded its goal of raising $25,000.
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Updated: November 30, 2011 12:38AM
AURORA — Last Saturday morning at Faith Lutheran Church would have looked like any well-organized event, had it not been for the buckets. T-shirts, tents, smiles and excited chatter in abundance, and each participant carried an empty 2-gallon bucket.
Faith Lutheran’s Walk for Water was just that — a walk to a local lake to gather water and bring it back to the church, simulating the journey 884 million people make each day because they don’t have access to clean, fresh water. One-hundred-and-forty-five people made the almost four-mile trek and raised money for a water filtration system for a community in Haiti.
“You are here because you believe clean water is a right,” said Pastor Rob Douglas in his welcome speech. “This is the reality. Because of you, there is going to be clean, safe water ...”
The Faith Lutheran congregation partnered with Water Missions International, a nonprofit, Christian-based organization that provides sustainable access to safe water to communities in need. WMI serves communities around the world, including Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. It costs roughly $25,000 to place a Living Water Treatment System within a community and educate the community on its use.
“The walk was a great way to raise the money,” said participant Katie Douglas.
Walk for Water raised $26,300, surpassing its $25,000 goal. The additional funds will be used by WMI toward the purchase of another water purification system.
The idea was sparked from a youth group mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Katie Douglas, then 17, was visiting children in an impoverished community, and met a little girl who wanted nothing but water.
“I tried asking her where she got her water from, but she just kept asking me over and over again for water,” Douglas said. “The idea that she didn’t have it was really troubling.”
After Douglas shared her story with the congregation, members of the Outreach Committee decided their mission for the year would be to provide food, water and shelter to those in need both locally and abroad.
Todd Sherrington, a committee member, says the calling appealed to both the committee and the congregation.
“It’s not denominational; it doesn’t have to be faith- or church-oriented,” Sherrington said. “It was just something that this congregation felt a calling to do, and here we are.”
Local Boy Scout Packs 123 and 543 helped with the event, greeting walkers as they returned from their trek.
“I think it shows the boys that there are things beyond what’s here in the Aurora community and their own lives, and that they can have an impact on things that are bigger and more global,” said Pack Leader John Miller.
After the walk, a celebration at the church included a dunk-tank, a raffle and live music by local band Prairie Surfers. Event sponsor Buchar Family Chiropractic offered free spinal check-ups. There was also a Living Water Treatment System on display.
“This is going to be an annual event for us,” Douglas said. “It was great to see our community rally around this to make a difference.”
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