James Smith, Auburn for Water president, is working with other Auburn for Water organization members to plan events to raise awareness about the scarcity of clean drinking water in the world as well as raise money for families in Cambodia. Water Week is set for March 28-April 1.
Smith said they are close to reaching their annual goal.
“Our goal for this year is to raise $15,000 to provide 100 families in Cambodia with clean drinking water,” Smith said. “After Water Week, we are sitting at $9,284.40.”
Smith said though they’ve hosted a couple of events, they still continue to work and campaign.
“This past fall, we hosted a 5k race, ‘Carry the Jerry,’” Smith said. “During Water Week, we decorated the concourse and hung out there Monday–Friday, educating our university about the water crisis, collecting donations and selling shirts and water bottles.”
Smith said some other things Auburn for Water plans on doing in the upcoming week are selling shirts, holding auctions and raising water crisis awareness.
“Last Thursday night, we held a benefit concert at 17-16 with Bailey and Madison Wolanek, Seth Baker and Adam Willis performing,” Smith said. “We will spend the next five weeks finishing our campaign with concourse activities and benefit nights each week.”
Too many people don’t know enough about the water crisis in the world, Smith said.
“As is with most problems in the world, overcoming ignorance is our biggest challenge,” Smith said. “Women and children spend hours each day collecting dirty drinking water, water they drink and become sick from, and our world lets this happen because most of us do not know about the problem.”
Smith said events such as Water Week, Carry the Jerry 5k and Auburn for Water Benefit Concourse help raise awareness.
“We try to inform every Auburn student about the scarcity of clean drinking water,” Smith said. “We do this through concourse billboards, campus events and an aggressive social media campaign.”
Smith said he thinks personal communication with students gets the best result when Auburn for Water campaigns.
“However, I believe the best way is to visit every campus organization we can, sharing our message with every member in the room,” Smith said.
Smith said he loves using their social media platforms on Facebook and Instagram to stay in touch with students and share information about upcoming events.
“My favorite part of Water Week is making our reveal video, which we have begun working on and will release after our entire yearlong campaign is over,” Smith said.
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