Holy Faith Runners Raise $1,377 for World's Thirsty

No one in the Dexter-Ann Arbor races on June 3 went thirsty. Water stations lined the course, and there were scores of volunteers to hand it out. But sadly, such access to clean water is lacking in many parts of the world.

That's why nine parishioners from Holy Faith Church in Saline ran the races to raise money for water projects in developing nations. Calling it the "Run for Their Lives" campaign, church members ran a combined total of 68 miles and raised $1,377 -- enough to provide 55 people lifetime access to safe water through the aid organization Water.org.

And they appreciated the water stations in a whole new way.

"Some of those stretches without shade did get pretty hot," said church member Brian Marr of Saline, who ran the 13.1-mile half-marathon course. 

"I was definitely thinking about all the people who walk hours each day to get what we took for granted at every aid station," added Pastor Ian Reed Twiss.  "The physical strain of the run helped to build a sense of connection with what they go through."

Co-founded by Matt Damon, Water.org works with local leaders to build sustainable and community-supported safe water projects all over the world.  Its website notes the kind of stark realities that 's campaign hopes to help combat: that "more people die each year from unsafe water than from wars" or that "in just one day 200 million work hours are consumed by women collecting water for their families."

The church's running team included men and women, 15-to-63-year-olds, experienced marathoners and first-time couch-to-5Kers. Their common purpose?  Helping others in the name of one whose dying words are still uttered far too often by people around the world: "I thirst."