Crosswater church hitting Sultan track for annual Walk 4 Water

Crosswater Community Church in Sultan will hit the track at Sultan High School for a second year in a row to raise money to provide clean water to families in developing countries.

This year's Walk 4 Water event takes place 2-5 p.m. Sunday, April 24. The Sky Valley community is invited to join Crosswater and its members as they enjoy an afternoon of physical activity and camaraderie, walking the high school track in solidarity with others who must do so to survive. The event symbolizes the hardship of women and children in remote rural areas around the world, who are forced to spend hours every day walking to gather water for their families.

Participants who wish to can walk a lap or two while carrying buckets of water to better understand what it might be like.

This year's fundraising goal is $10,000, which is enough to fund a water project for a community or a school. Donations can be made through the Crosswater website or given to Crosswater staff on the day of the event.

Crosswater lead pastor Aaron Day said Walk 4 Water was inspired by his wife Cathy's passion for saving lives through increased access to clean water. -á -á

"Some 660 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water, and yet it exists somewhere under their feet,GÇ¥ Day said. "It just needs to be drilled for, tapped and made accessible by a well.GÇ¥

All proceeds from Walk 4 Water will be donated to charity: water, a 501(C)3 nonprofit dedicated to bringing clean and safe drinking water to everyone in the world.

charity: water relies on private donors to cover its administrative costs, enabling the organization to dedicate 100 percent of public donations to clean water projects around the world. charity: water funds water projects in 24 countries in Africa, Asia, Central America and South America.

Since it was founded in 2006, charity: water has funded a total of 19,819 water projects.

According to charity: water, spending hours a day walking to obtain water keeps kids from attending school and hinders parents seeking to earn a living. Also, the water collected in those regions often carries diseases that can lead to illness. Access to clean water has a holistic effect on communities, positively impacting education, income and health.

Last year, Crosswater's Walk 4 Water initiative exceeded its fundraising goal of $6,000, raising more than $10,000 for a well project in Ethiopia.

Day said they hope to transform lives through clean water, giving people the opportunity to go to school, obtain employment and not be plagued with diseases that are easily preventable.

"We want to help save lives for lots of years,GÇ¥ Day said.

Registration is free and all are welcome to participate in the event. Sultan High School is located at 13715 310th Ave. S.E. in Sultan. Donations to help the church meet its $10,000 goal can be made at www.crosswaterchurch.org/walk4water.