The Rotary Club of Fishers’ annual charity ball in December 2023 supported its Water is Life project, a program that funds wells in Sierra Leone.
According to an announcement from Rotary member Diane Crawford, “We have access to drinking water all day — we shower, we wash dishes, we water our lawns, we wash our cars. But for millions of people in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, access to any water at all may be miles or hours away.”
For the past 15 years, the Rotary Club of Fishers has been working to improve that situation for people in Sierra Leone. In 2008, the club initiated the “Water Is Life” project to build wells in cooperation with World Hope International. Now, the announcement stated, there are 183 wells, 100 percent of which still deliver fresh water to communities.
This year’s Charity Ball for Water Is Life, the club’s annual holiday gala, raised an estimated $150,000 that will help the program achieve a total of 200 wells before the end of 2024.
“With matching funds from the Rotary Foundation … Fishers Rotarians are giving real hope for improving the lives of over 450,000 who live in rural villages — people who now have fresh, clean, sanitary water,” the announcement stated. “As of 2021, 4,000 children in Sierra Leone, nearly 11 of every 1,000 children, die annually from diarrhea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. Fishers Rotarians are reducing that number with every well.”
The 2023-24 Rotary theme was “Creating Hope in the World,” according to the announcement.
“‘Water Is Life’ is, without question, creating hope,” Fishers Rotary president Allen Bourff stated during the event. “And you will leave tonight knowing you’ve made a lifetime of difference to thousands of people through the precious gift of clean water.”
The announcement stated that this year’s honorary event chair was Marissa Andretti, VP of Andretti Global. The evening’s emcee was WISH-TV host Carolene Mays.
Silent and live auctions, games of chance, dinner and dancing were included in the event.
