Bay High School’s Key Club is inviting the community to take part in its Walk for Water fundraiser happening Oct. 8 at the high school from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For several years the student club has fundraised to support the Thirst Project, a nonprofit working to end the global water crisis by building freshwater wells in developing communities that need safe, clean drinking water.
Their efforts have raised tens of thousands of dollars over the years.
High School Senior Mary Catherine Murtaugh appeared on Good Morning Cleveland-Sunday to talk about the event's importance.
“They've (Thirst Project) not only been raising money for freshwater wells for those communities that don't have access to water, but they've been engaging students and leaders around the world to help educate others and raise money,” Murtaugh said. “It only takes $25 to provide one person with water for life.”
She said community support has been amazing, along with people’s willingness to learn about conditions that prevent access to safe drinking water.
“We take for granted the things that we have. If we need water or we're thirsty, we can just go to a faucet or a drinking fountain. It's amazing to see everyone be educated and know about the Thirst Project. So now we're more aware. We think about the people in need.”
Murtaugh was awarded the nonprofit's 2023 Power of Youth Award. She recently traveled to Eswatini, a country in southern Africa, to see first-hand the impact fundraising is having.
“We visited two wells that we fundraised. One from 2019 and one from 2022. It was an experience of a lifetime to meet the children and the women that used to have to go collect the water, and now they're able to get jobs and have an education,” Murtaugh said. “We ended up seeing old water sources that they used to use, and there (were) animals in them, and you could see bacteria and different things growing. It was wonderful to see the transition to the new water well that they use.”
The Key Club’s work with Thirst Project is year-round.
