KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One in eight people – 884 million worldwide – lacks access to safe water. Because of this, 1.8 million children die each year from diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. As a global leader in advanced pump solutions and a trendsetter in water technology, Grundfos presented an opportunity to change that. In partnership with Water Missions International and the Kansas City Royals, Grundfos hosted a Walk for Water to raise awareness of the global water crisis. About 150 people participated in the June 16 event, raising a total of $47,000 to fund a water treatment system in Haiti. The system will
feature Grundfos’ innovative LIFELINK technology, a new model for sustainable water supply in the developing world.
The Walk for Water is a non‐competitive, educational event that puts participants in the shoes of those who walk almost four miles per day to provide their families with what is often contaminated water. “Although we can never say we have walked a day in their shoes,” said participant Kim McClellan, “it is painful to think about what they are faced with on a daily basis after experiencing the Walk for Water with Water.”
Halfway through our 3.5‐mile walk, participants filled buckets with water, simulating the true burden of life in a developing nation. Together, the participants carried approximately 100 gallons of water – the amount that the average American uses daily.
“Now when I turn on the faucet, I can't help but think about the struggles that people are facing around the world to get clean water,” said Jes Munk Hansen, president of Grundfos North America. “My sore shoulders the next day reminded me that carrying a large bucket of water for three and half miles is no easy task for an adult and especially not for a child.”
The 2012 Kansas City Walk for Water was sponsored by Grundfos, The Kansas City Royals, Morgan Hunter Corporate Search, Pump & Power, Associated Equipment Sales, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLC, Chick‐fil‐A at Ward Parkway, Reece & Nichols, P1 Group Inc., Austin Nichols, Mid‐America Pump, and The Leadership Forum.