Herricks High School seniors Kate Snider and Kristy Dorsa were looking for a worthy cause to work for last year when Snider saw a television commercial for Charity:Water, a non-profit organization working to relieve the global water crisis Snider became more interested after watching videos on the Charity: Water Web site and told Kristy about it.
“I thought it was a great organization working for a great cause,” Snider said. “We wanted a project. We wanted to do something. No one talks about the water crisis. It’s pretty unknown.”
The students interested resulted in a Web site the two friends launched three months ago to promote the issue of a global water crisis that has already raised $1,000 for the cause they’ve championed toward a $5,000 goal.
The Web site, www.wepay.com/donations/thek2oproject, states that 8 million people around the world lack safe sources of drinking water.
The initiative, dubbed the K2O project by the girls, is tied directly to Charity: Water, which collects funds to build wells and create sustainable water sources in disparate areas of the world
“We really wanted to pick an organization that was good with their money,” Dorsa said. “We were really impressed with the way they use their money.”
Snider said all the money Charity: Water raises goes to where it’s needed by the cause. Dorsa said the organization separately solicits donations to support its staff and office operations.
Both young women got acquainted with the organization by volunteering at Charity: Water headquarters in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village last summer to help out writing thank you letters to donors and checking out the charity’s operation. Snider said she still works there twice monthly sending thank you notes to donors.
The Herricks students said the impulse to work Charity: Water from a desire to give back to the global community in gratitude for the lifestyles they enjoy.
“We just felt that we’re living in an area where we really have what we need and it would be so great top do something to help others. We decided to make a pact and stick with it and bring attention to a great cause,” Snider said.
She said the $1,000 they’ve brought in thus far is likely enough to drill a well for an entire village.
Snider’s mother, a Zumba teacher, helped the girls out by running a local Zumbathon that succeeded in bringing in $300.
Snider said they’re planning a second Zumbathon, “Dance for a cause,” on April 14 at Albertson VFW Post 5253 at 155 Searingtown Road in Albertson from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It will include an hour-long Zumba dance class taught by a certified instructor, raffles donated by local businesses, and interactive displays to bring attention to the growing global water crisis.
Snider, who will be attending Vassar College in the fall, said she’s has yet to decide on a major, but she has a sense of what she wants to after college.
“I think I’d like eventually to get into some international work,” she said.
Dorsa, who will be attending the Tulane University, said she was drawn there because of school’s community service requirement. She said she’s thinking about majoring in neuroscience and eventually becoming a child psychologist.
The two intend to keep in close in contact and see their fundraising water project through to its goal if they don’t hit the mark before they graduate Herricks.
“If we don’t reach our goal, we’re definitely sticking with it,” Dorsa said.
Donations can be made on the Web site. More information about Charity:Water is available at www.charitywater.org.
