Fund-raiser secures money to build 14 wells

While Pike County residents lugged cans full of water across Troy University’s quad Saturday during a workout, villagers in India were hauling containers full of the life-sustaining liquid from water sources to their homes.

About 100 people participated in Troy’s WOD for Water program on Saturday to raise money to help build wells in rural India.

“What WOD for Water is a ‘workout of the day’ using jerry cans filled with water,” said Jason Jones, program coordinator. “The cans symbolize what kids have to do in India every day to get water. We do squats, lunges, pushups, things like that to work out with the cans.”

More than promoting physical fitness, however, WOD for Water’s main goal is to raise money to provide wells and clean water to villages in the third world. This year, WOD for Water raised more than $30,000 dollars to dig new wells in India.

“We raised $36,630.74 this year,” Jones said. “That was raised from about 60 sponsors, about 100 people who signed up for the program and then eight individuals who bought wells for $2,500.”

The total is more than double what WOD for Water raised last year.

“This is our second year doing the fund-raiser,” Jones said. “We more than doubled the $16,000 we raised last year. To go up to $36,000 is phenomenal. We were really bumped up by those eight people who bought wells. They’re people who want to make a difference in the world.”

Troy’s WOD for Water is partnered with the Neverthirst organization in Birmingham. “They started the project of building wells in third world countries,” Jones explaine. “We do WOD for Water as an event for them.”

With all the money raised, 14 new wells will be created in India.

“These wells are so important because they allow kids to go back to school,” Jones said. “They don’t have to spend their days gathering water. They save lives because people aren’t getting sick from drinking dirty water. Most importantly though, building the wells allows for people to hear the gospel of Christ for the first time.”

At Saturday’s friendly competition, more than 60 people signed up to work out with the cans.

An additional 20 people participated by walking laps around Troy University’s quad.

Jones said that everyone who participated had a good time.

“This year it was a friendly competition,” Jones said. “The goal was to do as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. People went as hard as they could for 20 minutes. There are a lot of people still walking funny today.”