Anthem Rotary is Title Sponsor of Walk 4 Water Anthem

For desert-dwelling Arizonans, inhabitants of one of Earth’s hottest and driest climates, the challenge of finding water is acutely personal. 

And as water levels continue to plummet in Lake Mead and the Colorado River, decimated by climate-change induced heatwaves and droughts, the state’s residents are faced with an increasingly urgent threat to their future in the arid and unforgiving Sonoran landscape. 

The world’s water woes, of course, span far beyond the American West and a Saturday, Nov. 12, fundraiser at Anthem Community Park, Walk 4 Water Anthem, is aimed at bringing relief to villagers in east Africa while spreading awareness of a global crisis. 

Water 4 Kids International, a division of Phoenix-based Hope 4 Kids International, is raising funds to drill a borehole well “that will provide safe, clean water from deep aquafers to the surrounding villages” in Ariet, located in the Bukedea District of eastern Uganda. 

“I think Arizonans think about the value of water on a daily basis,” said Dave Murphy of Anthem Rotary Club, which is partnering with Water 4 Kids International to promote and produce the event.

“We think of it as a precious resource for our future. But many people have been conditioned to take it for granted and expect it will always be there. And there are more than a billion people in the world who struggle every day to find the life-saving water they need.

“This is something we take for granted as Americans. Arizonans and Americans would hope that we never face that kind of future, but it’s important to recognize that people all over the world face these types of challenges every day.”

The goal of the project is to “relieve the genuine suffering of thousands of men, women and children that contend with multiple life-threatening challenges every time they retrieve or consume water” from a swamp that serves five villages in its catchment area, according to its website.

“Each day in remote villages in Africa, women and children walk very long distances to retrieve drinking water that is contaminated. Having no other water source, they risk sickness and death from the water, injury and death from the dangers of the trek, and they sacrifice time that could be spent learning in school or providing for their families.”

As a symbolic effort made in honor of the women and children who walk for water daily in Uganda, participants will walk together around the park on a 2-mile course, “similar to the average distance a young girl in Uganda walks to retrieve water daily.”

The project has a fundraising goal of $13,500, according to its website, and as of Friday afternoon had already raised $5,300. 

“Walk 4 Water is an important cause that positively impacts thousands of families in Africa each day,” Steve DeMar, president of Anthem Rotary Club, said. “As a major sponsor of this charity event, Anthem Rotary is proud to support the fundraising effort with a match of all corporate sponsorships up to $5,000.”

Water 4 Kids International’s committee is comprised of four students from Boulder Creek High School: two seniors, Aishah Alquran and Mikenna Deasy, and two sophomores, Ashley Sherman and Sarah Davidov.

Alquran, a four-year member of the global studies program, and Deasy, an active volunteer on campus, are raising funds to drill a clean water well as their senior project and they “cannot wait to see the everlasting impact it has on the people, children, and families of Uganda,” according to the event’s website.

Sherman wanted to do Walk 4 Water Anthem “because people cannot help the situations they are born into” and she said she believes that “if we have the means to help them, we should. 

Drilling a well will change the lives of so many people, while Davidov joined the Interact Club as well as the Walk 4 Water Anthem team because her goal in life is “to affect as many people as possible in a positive way,” according to a statement. 

“It’s great just to be around members of the community who care for this cause and to provide support for such a worthwhile event,” Anthem Rotary Club’s Murphy said. “We believe in the work Water 4 Kids International is doing. We will have our membership out in force and we encourage others in the community to participate as well.”

Registration is $25 for adults, $15 for youth/students, and $10 for children 12 and under. Check-in for the event is 10 a.m. and the Walk 4 Water begins at 10:30 a.m. Participants can register as an individual, start a team, or join a team to encourage friendly competition. 

Participants should meet in Anthem Community Park at the north end of the main parking lot near the Veterans Memorial and will receive a 2022 Walk 4 Water Anthem T-shirt, while supplies last.