To kick off Heritage E-STEM Magnet's H2O for Life fundraising campaign, the school had a visit from a special guest who has made campaigning for clean water a personal mission. Katie Spotz, 26, talked with students and staff on Sept. 19 about her adventures that have helped raise awareness and funds to support people who need safe drinking water.
Katie set a world record in 2010 for being the youngest person to row more than 2,800 miles alone across the Atlantic Ocean from Senegal to Guyana. It took her 70 days to complete the journey. She has also cycled across the United States, completed a 325-mile river swim, and has participated in races from triathlons to an ultramarathon. Throughout all these endurance challenges, she has raised more than $150,000 for safe water projects in Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Kenya.
At the end of Katie's presentation, students discussed some ways they can save water in their own communities. They took what they learned from Katie's experience to connect it to their own efforts with H2O for Life — a national nonprofit based in Minnesota that works with schools to develop water-related service opportunities.
For the second year, Heritage is participating in an H2O for Life fundraising challenge. During 2012-13, Heritage students' contributions raised enough money to fund the construction of a hand washing station at a school in Calabaza, Nicaragua. They hope to raise funds to support a similar project this year.