PHOTOS: Medfield StuCo Helps Fund Two Water Well Projects in Africa

The Student Council raised over $600 at its fourth annual Running Water 5K event on April 29 that will go towards building and repairing water wells in Africa.

"The Water Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting communities worldwide who suffer needlessly from a lack of access to clean water," said T.J. Gianci, MHS student council member and organizer of the April 29 event, which took place outside Medfield High School.

To date, the student council's efforts have helped The Water Project fund the completion of two projects in Africa:

• Project 1: Waterloo, Penninsula Jr/Sr Secondary School. Funds raised by Medfield High School's Student Council during its annual Running Water 5K events has contributed to the completion of two latrines in Sierra Leone. The project was completed on Dec. 20, 2011 and will serve 900 people. To read more about the project, click here.
• Project 2: Nyabisindu Community Well. Funds raised by Medfield High School's Student Council during its annual Running Water 5K events has contributed to the completion of a project in Rwanda to repair and sustain its drinking well. The project was completed on Oct. 13, 2011 and will serve 500 people. To read more about this project, click here.

On April 29, 27 runners participated in the student council's event to benefit The Water Project and Gianci deemed the annual race a success.

"Everyone seemed to really enjoy the race and the raffles that followed," he said.

Medfield's Andrew Robartes finished the race first overall and Kelly Gair was the top female runner but more importantly, according to Gianci, was the money raised and the fun the participants and StuCo members had during the event.

"The [Running Water] 5K is an event that the council really enjoys organizing because it's a chance for us to give back," Gianci said. "Not only the council, but also the whole MHS community is all about giving back to those in need."

The student council's goal for its annual Running Water 5K over the past four years has been to raise $4,000 to build a new well in Africa. While MHS senior and StuCo member, Evan Berry, could not confirm the total amount of funds raised, he did believe the student council had exceeded its goal.

"My gut is that this year we surpassed the $4,000 mark, meaning that we raised enough money to fund the purchase of four well pumps," Berry said.

All proceeds from these Running Water 5K events go to the Water Project, which aims to build and repair communal wells in Africa. Communal wells, according to a Medfield Patch announcement posted by Berry, "promote enriched educational opportunities in impoverished villages by eliminating time wasted walking to and from other sources of clean water, reducing the chance of a sick adult needing his child to work the fields, and ensuring the youth stay healthy and physically able to learn."