On Saturday, March 20, over 2,300 people participated in the 15th Annual Water Mission Walk for Water. Together, they raised awareness and funds to fight the global water crisis. Staggered times in Riverfront Park—and a virtual “walk anywhere” option—allowed for social distancing.
The three-mile route represented the average distance people walk each day to collect water that can lead to water-related illnesses. Walkers carried empty buckets until the halfway point, filled them with water, and carried the full buckets the final 1.5 miles.
Together, we’ve raised nearly $300,000 to provide safe water solutions to communities around the world!
Dr. Linda Karges-Bone has been a Walk for Water team captain for 10 years. Team captains are talented leaders with a gift for creating camaraderie. They recruit walkers and encourage them to engage others. Even after a decade of such dedicated leadership, Dr. Karges-Bone’s commitment to this work only grows deeper.
When asked about her reason for this service, she said, “I’m driven by a deep sense of compassion for those who lack this most basic resource for survival: clean water … I’ve devoted much of my life as a teacher and professor to addressing issues surrounding literacy, but the global water crisis predates literacy issues in scope and intention. If we want girls to be educated—and we know that the education of girls is the key to breaking cycles of poverty and injustice—then everyone must have access to water and sanitation.”
“All of this points to bringing hope and health: physical, mental, and yes spiritual,” Dr. Karges-Bone said. “None of it is possible without the life–giving breath of the gospel. The Good News. That moves me, inspires me, infuses me with passion for this work as a fundraiser, team leader, and advocate for clean water.”
Throughout the Walk, participants learned about people who do a similar walk every single day to collect water. They learned about the need for safe water and followed the stories of Rina, a coffee farmer and mother in Indonesia and Magdelena, a young student in Tanzania. Together, we celebrated what safe water has brought to these individuals and so many more of our global neighbors.
Jill Settle served as team captain for the Walk for Water team from St. Philip’s Church. “It was truly an honor and blessing to represent St. Philip’s Church in the Walk for Water,” she told us. “Our team was thrilled to answer the call by doubling our participation from last year along with raising over $7,000. We felt truly empowered to make a lasting difference throughout the world while experiencing a sense of community that we have missed so much throughout the pandemic.”
Hopefully, you’re already making plans to join us for the 2022 Walk for Water. Stay tuned to our social media channels in the coming weeks when we announce next year’s Walk date—we look forward to seeing you there. In the meantime, there are many ways you can get involved.