Mar 16, 2008 9:14 pm US/Central
Buy Chicago Tap And Give Water To Those With None
Join UNICEF and CBS 2 In Project Tap To Provide Safe Drinking Water For Children in Developing Parts of the World.
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Sunday marks the beginning of "World Water Week" and people across the Chicagoland area are pitching in to make sure children around the world have safe drinking water. It's all part of UNICEF's "Tap Project," and CBS 2 was a proud partner of Chicago's launch.
CBS 2's Mai Martinez was on hand to toast the event.
The idea behind the Tap Project is simple – people are asked to pay $1 for every glass of tap water they order at participating bars and restaurants.
The money raised is then used by UNICEF to help provide clean, safe drinking water for children in developing parts of the world.
"You might not think it's much, but for a child that maybe is in Africa or Asia or a developing nation, it really will make a life-saving impact," said Casey Marsh of UNICEF.
According to UNICEF, 6,000 children die every day because of water-related illnesses, but just $1 can supply a child with safe drinking water for up to 40 days. Many at Chicago's event say that's a small price to pay to save a life.
"You know we have so many things that we take for granted," said Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith. "You just assume that everyone has water. To know that people not only don't have enough water, but they're dying daily, it's just sad."
Kids at the Tap Project kickoff say it's hard to even imagine what life must be like for children who didn't have clean drinking water.
"When I wake up every morning, I go down stairs looking forward to having breakfast and having a glass of water, and if you think about kids in Africa, there are kids that are maybe 2 years old and have only had at least five glasses of water," said 9-year-old Katie Ahern.
"I think it would be pretty horrible," said 10-year-old Mills Selkregg. "I wouldn't like it very much at all."
"To think of how many people live in the world, and then how many die in one day, it's really hard to think about it," said 8-year-old Ally Ahern.
Organizers of Chicago's Tap Project hope to raise $100,000 this week.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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