Samaritan's Purse and partners host walkathons to celebrate World Water
Day
CALGARY, March 19 /CNW/ - Join Samaritan's Purse Canada and its partners across the country as we celebrate World Water Day by walking four kilometers and raising money to help families in the developing world get safe water.
The Turn on the Tap Safe Water Challenge takes place Sunday, March 22
(World Water Day) in Calgary and Welland, ON, and March 28 in Vernon, BC.
All funds raised will support Turn on the Tap, a campaign by Samaritan's Purse Canada to help break the cycle of poverty in the developing world by helping families get safe water.
In the developing world, someone - usually a child - dies every 20
seconds from diseases related to drinking filthy, contaminated water. Every $100 raised translates into drinkable water for up to 10 people through the construction and installation of BioSand Water Filters, plus health and hygiene training.
Besides reducing the mortality rate, improving water quality means
children miss less school due to illness and parents spend more time working and less of their precious few dollars on medicine.
Since 2007, generous Canadians have donated more than $4 million to Turn on the Tap, which means Samaritan's Purse Canada and its partners in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America have helped up to 400,000 people.
"This is an international effort," said Fred Weiss, Samaritan's Purse
Canada's Executive Director. "Samaritan's Purse offices in the United Kingdom and Australia are coordinating with us to celebrate World Water Day through walkathons in each country.
"It's a great event for entire families. And it's just one more way to
show God's love to people who desperately need help."
Samaritan's Purse is an international Christian relief and development
organization working to provide aid to victims of war, disease, natural
disaster, poverty, famine, and persecution. Along with Operation Christmas Child, the Calgary-based charity also operates the Turn on the Tap initiative that raises funds for life-saving BioSand Water Filters and the newly introduced IF campaign which raises funds to support women's projects in the developing world. Go to www.samaritanspurse.ca for more information.
