UNION COUNTY, Tennessee — Irwin’s Chapel hosted its first annual Walk 4 Water fundraiser to support the drilling of safe water boreholes for the villages of Odiridir, Kakori-Omongoje, Magara West and Adidinga Central in Uganda.
Participants walked a two-mile walking trail, symbolizing the average distance Ugandan women and children travel to retrieve clean water, largely from unprotected sources including open ponds, livestock water points and polluted ditches, according to a release.
The event included face painting, country line dancing, Polynesian dance demonstrations, food trucks and more. A portion of the proceeds from all food sold was donated toward drilling deep water wells in Uganda.
According to one of the organizers, the people of Union Couty jumped at the chance to lend a helping hand.
“People here do have loving hearts and want to help other people so it was easy to say 'Come and join us and help out' and the effort has been amazing,” Desiree Hensley, the Walk 4 Water Union County chairperson, said.
Walk 4 Water is the signature fundraiser of Water 4 Kids International, a division of Hope 4 Kids International, a non-profit working to provide clean water to children and families who are suffering through extreme poverty and disease.
In addition to drilling deep water wells, Water 4 Kids International also provides the communities with hygiene and sanitation education, as well as operation and maintenance training.
If you would like to donate to Walk for Water Union County, visit w4ki.org/w4wunioncounty.