Monday, March 22, was World Water Day. Is there anything more taken for granted than drinking water in the United States?

A number of years ago, we were introduced to a clean water project supported by the Rich-Mar Rotary Club. Club member Gary Weston was and seems to still be the leader of the effort to provide clean and ample drinking water to an area in Honduras.

The host organization in Central America is Honduras Hope Mission, or HHM. Weston has been involved with the work at HHM for 12 years and visited the mission eight times.

As you would expect, he was instrumental in organizing and hosting the Walking for Water event at Adams Township Park this past Saturday. Some of the sponsors of the event included The Rich-Mar Rotary, The Keystone Rotary Club, Zelienople Rotary, Grove City Rotary and the Butler County Tourism Bureau.

Most every one of us at some time have seen pictures of people in poorer countries walking while carrying containers of one sort or another back and forth from a water source to their homes. Almost none of us have ever really stopped to think about that task and why it is necessary.

Saturday’s Walk 4 Water gave people a chance to see what carrying a much smaller load of water for a short distance would be like. The walkers carried plastic bottles of water which were not going to spill and lose its treasured content. They didn’t have the pressure of knowing that if the water didn’t reach its final destination, families would go hungry or thirsty. They also had the comfort of knowing the water was clean and purified so as to not make anyone sick.

Yes, it was a small example of what we see in photographs of women and children walking barefoot and carrying vessels on their heads on dusty roads in hot, humid conditions. Saturday’s weather in Adams Township was 62 degrees and sunny with very low humidity. Most people carried a gallon of water.

Few carried what their family would need for a day. The event was certainly an eye-opener for young people who have never had to question if they would get a cold, clean glass of water with the next meal or when they would ever get to bathe in a clear, sterile environment.

Now that is something to weigh heavily on your mind and your back. We hope you are feeling tired, dirty and thirsty. If you would like to contribute or learn more about this worthy project, you can reach the Rich-Mar Rotary Club at 724-316-6521.

You can mail a tax-deductible donation to them at P.O. Box 392 in Mars, PA 16046, or you can look for a busy volunteer in your community and ask them if they are a Rotarian. There is a very good chance they will be, and they will be able to help you. And please wear your mask.

— RV