M’CHIGEENG—Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS) students and staff will be joining other organizations on Manitoulin for the We Walk for Water fundraising event on May 11.
“Our Share/Go Green committee will be taking part in a We Walk for Water event across Manitoulin Island on May 11,” said MSS teacher Yana Bauer in an interview with the Recorder earlier this week. “We haven’t done anything like this before. We’ve held water walks around the school, but not like this.”
“The Three Fires committee has been guiding us and will take an active role in the walk-helping with the feast to conclude the walk,” she said. “There will be one group of (student) walkers starting in Wiikwemkoong and another group starting at Misery Bay at 6 am on May 11. The students will be spending about 12 to 12-and-a-half hours walking to MSS, where volunteers will be organizing a feast for everyone to take part in at the end of the walk.”
“We are hoping to include elders from our First Nations at both starting points, to provide some water teachings,” said Ms. Bauer, pointing out there is a huge water walk held annually in Wiikwemkoong. “It is exciting to have this type of partnership and support and we are hoping to reach out to all Manitoulin municipalities and First Nations to participate and help promote the event.”
“We want all participants in the walk to be safe so there will be a follow car behind each group of walkers and volunteers bringing water to participants. We have some community members along the route who have offered to provide their places as meeting points for the walkers to take breaks during the walk,” continued Ms. Bauer.
MSS has created a Crowd Rise Facebook page where people can make donations towards the walk. Students and participants will also be able to get pledge forms online. “We have set a fundraising goal of $1,000 for the walk,” said Ms. Bauer. She pointed out the funds raised will go to towards sustainable water projects worldwide through the ‘Me to We’ program. “For every $25 raised it provides clean water for life for a person; there are 800 million people in the world who don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water.”
“Anyone can participate in the walk. We are encouraging everyone to join us,” said Ms. Bauer. “If anyone wants to participate and get pledges, there is a downloadable pledge form on our Facebook page, or people can donate directly to the Crowd Rise Facebook page. Volunteers are also encouraged to donate food for the feast to be held.
“The walk is about 60 kilometres in length,” said Ms. Bauer. “We are encouraging everyone to take part, the more people the better and it would be a powerful way to show how important water is to everyone.”
To contact Ms. Bauer on this walk, go to bit.ly/h20walk link to Facebook and Crowd Rise.
