Volunteers were greeted by a large balloon arch, banners, music playing, and enthusiastic H4O leaders ready to make the event they had planned for months a success.
Hands4Other’s hosted their first annual Walk4Water on Oct. 29.
Sporting blue Hands4Others T-shirts, running shoes, and warm sweatshirts to ward off the early morning fog looming low on the horizon, the walkers took off.
Coffee, water bottles, and dogs in tow, parents, teenagers, and elementary school students began the three-mile trek along East Beach.
Hands4Others is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing sustainable access to clean water to those in need around the world.
With over 150 people at East Beach ready to walk, the event provided an opportunity for H4O to share their goals and get the youth of Santa Barbara involved.
The Walk4Water “got everyone really into it. Each participant seemed truly intrigued with our movement and many young people participated [in the walk], which gave us the opportunity to share with them what we are all about.
It was awesome to see the community come out and support a movement of young people,” said Spencer Dusebout, H4Oco-founder and Laguna alumnus.
With newly designed H4O sweatshirts as prizes, children watched intently waiting for their name to be drawn from the bucket.
Ten winners were announced for specific categories, including the most money raised, largest team, and fastest time.
“A second grade boy won the raffle. The night before he had gone door to door around his neighborhood on his bike collecting money for H4O.
“Stories like his are what H4O is all about. We want to get people excited and involved,” said sophomore Sammi Schurmer, a leader of H4O.
Recent donations added to the proceeds from the walk provided a village of 3,000 access to clean water for the first time in their lives.
H4Ohas reached several milestones recently. They’ve helped to provide clean water to over 100,000 people in nine countries. Most recently they have adopted villages in Mexico and Belize.
“We look forward to continuing our work in these countries as well as the rest of the third world,” says another H4O leader and freshman at Laguna, Bryn Jewett.
Community Walks4Water
December 2, 2011
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