Spruce Ridge and Pleasantdale Schools’ students were carrying water jugs around the Estevan Comprehensive School track Friday to make this world a little better.
The Estevan We Walk for Water activity was brought together within the framework of We Day international organization to attract attention to the global water problem.
A team of 51 Grade 6-8 students, who are in the schools' leadership and We Day groups put the We Day shirts on, grabbed at least nine litres of water each and went for their first lap at the Estevan Comprehensive School track.
“We are walking for water today to help communities that don’t have access to clean water,” said Sarah Driscoll, Pleasantdale School student leadership committee teacher.
After the opening laps, participants could adjust the amount of water they were carrying. Some put four-litre milk jugs into their backpacks, while others would walk with half-filled five-gallon bottles in their hands. The water they were carrying had a connecting symbolical meaning.
“A lot of young children and women in these countries don’t get the opportunity to go to school or work because they are walking hours a day to get water for houses, and it’s not always clean. So when we raise the money it helps these communities have access to clean water. They can drill wells and get the filtration systems,” said Driscoll.
Prior to the event, students did pledges and different fundraising activities.
“They went and talked to their family members and community members that they knew to raise money. We did a bake sale as well, just to help get those pledges in and raise money to help these communities,” said Driscoll. “We do have some kids today (Friday) that are being pledged per lap, so they get a certain donation per lap they walk today. So after today they go back to those people and say, ‘I walked 20 laps today.’ And then they’ll get pledges for those 20 laps.”
Jade Bedore and Sarah Nykiforuk of Pleasantdale School were sharing 12 litres of water in between two of them, and each one was aiming at 10 laps for the day, which would make about four kilometres, and would help to make a difference in the world.
“We can help people in third world countries to get clean water,” said Bedore.
“We raise money for them. We got $2,000, and it’s enough for two villages,” added Nykiforuk.
Spruce Ridge School We Day teacher advisor Robyn Sullivan said that children would decide which country they want to donate the money to through the We Day organization.
