Watering Malawi 5K

Posted on Friday, May 8th, 2009

Think about how many times a day you use water. Think about how many ways you use water. Consider how often you wash your hands, take a shower, prepare food, drink water, clean your house, or clean a child’s wound. Now imagine that every time you want to do these things, you have to walk miles to the closest water source, and then the same distance back home. There are over one billion people living in the world without access to clean water and globally, a child dies every 15 seconds because of this. The water crisis affects most people in developing countries and this November, the Alpha Psi chapter at the University of Florida presented “Running for Water”, a 5k benefitting Watering Malawi. Watering Malawi is a national nonprofit organization that works to accomplish specific projects relating to providing clean water and irrigation systems in Malawi. Watering Malawi advocates for a long-term solution to extreme poverty and hunger in Malawi by providing a means to perform everyday activities such as farming, medical care, cooking, and cleaning. Juniors Morgan Hightower and Megan Holloway founded the event. Hightower worked at a camp this summer that started Watering Malawi while Holloway went to Malawi in 2007 with her grandparents on a mission trip. On November 8th, over 300 people ran in the first annual 5k and helped raise over $12.000. The money will go directly to Watering Malawi and will be used to build 2 deep-bore wells that will provide clean water to more than 10,000 people. Jet Blue, a Gainesville radio station, and several Gainesville stores and businesses served as sponsors. The 5k was created on the premise that this problem is something that can be changed, and will be changed. Hightower and Holloway strongly believe in being an active citizen of the world and raising awareness of humanitarian issues. In the spring, Morgan Hightower will serve as Vice President of Public Relations and Megan Holloway will serve as Chapter President. If your chapter is interested in starting a project like Running for Water, please contact Morgan Hightower at runningforwater5k@gmail.com