On May 21, Southwire’s Project GIFT partnered with Water Mission to host a Walk for Water event in Carrollton, Ga., collecting more than $25,000 in donations and raising awareness to address an issue that impacts billions of people around the world.

According to the Water Mission website, 2.2 billion people around the world lack access to safe water, and the non-profit organization — founded in 2001 — is working to end the global water crisis by developing sustainable safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas. 

“We’re excited to count Southwire among our supporters who are helping our organization bring safe water to communities in need throughout the world,” said Paige Cofield, manager of Water Mission’s National Walks Program. “Southwire’s support of Water Mission allows us to change lives and bring safety to those in need.”

During the event, participants walked a course that is designed to represent the daily route that many people around the world take to get water each day, walking 1.5 miles to a water source, filling their buckets and completing the 1.5-mile trek back to the starting line. In connection to another one of Southwire’s sustainability tenets, Growing Green, participants used the water in their buckets to nourish several plants and young trees near the company’s Building Wire Plant.

“Walk for Water is an important event for me because I have been able to see firsthand how the lack of access to fresh water affects whole communities,” said Wil Rainey, Project GIFT coordinator. “Southwire's partnership with Water Mission ensures that we are doing everything in our power to eliminate the global water crisis and create an equal playing field for people around the world.”

Project GIFT’s Walk for Water was made possible by the kindness of community partners like this year’s elite partner, University of West Georgia. Other event partners included SERVPRO of Carrollton, Ga., Addison Smith, Aubrey Silvey, Times–Georgian, New Leaf Marketing, Gradick Communications, Tisinger Vance and Phoenix Wood Products. 

For more Southwire news, visit www.southwire.com/newsroom. To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to Giving Back, visit www.southwire.com/sustainability.