Historic high support brings safe water to at least 1,800 people

More than 700 Beaufort County residents joined forces to raise nearly $90,000 to fight the global water crisis in this year’s Walk for Water events in Port Royal and Bluffton.

Walkers and volunteers met Sept. 13 at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal and Sept. 20 at Wright Family Park in Bluffton for a three-mile walk to symbolize the burden millions of women and children in developing countries carry daily to collect water that’s often contaminated or in dangerous areas. The walks promote awareness of the desperate need for access to safe water and raises money for Water Mission International, a nonprofit Christian engineering organization based in Charleston that builds sustainable, safe water solutions in developing countries and disaster areas.

Port Royal resident Pippa Malone spent several hours at the Port Royal walk driving a “water uber” golf cart to help people participate who couldn’t otherwise manage the three-mile trek.

“This is great for our community,” Malone said. “It’s a wonderful philanthropic endeavor that brings awareness to something we take for granted. We’re surrounded by water here. And I love that so many kids are involved. Start ’em out young!”

“It’s a good cause,” agreed high-school student Ava Keller, who’s participated in the Walk for Water up and down the East coast with her active-duty military family. “We do it every year no matter where we live: here, Charleston, Virginia Beach.”

This was the ninth time Beaufort resident Dick McSween has participated in the walk. “It’s a great way to spread the word about the necessity of water,” he said.

The $90,000 raised this year will help provide clean water and sanitation solutions to an estimated 1,800 people around the world, according to Nan Krueger, Beaufort County Walk for Water committee leader.

“These are things most of us take for granted but make a transformational difference to those who don’t have them,” Krueger said. “The money the walk raises lifts up people for generations in communities around the world.”

Visit the Walk for Water website at walkforwater.com/beaufort to learn more about the Beaufort County Walk for Water. Follow Beaufort County Walk for Water on Facebook and Instagram @BeaufortWalkforWater, and on Twitter #bftwalkforwater.