As OktoberFest and Run 2013 Approaches, Local Charity Introduces Woodside High Students to the Virtues of Global Stewardship

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- OktoberFest and Run is about so much more than beer, food and running. The event is a chance for the community to come together and support local charities making an impact on the world. The two Rotary Clubs in Redwood City oversee the H2OpenDoors project. This year, local high school students will be participating in the project, ensuring that future generations understand the value of giving something back to those who need help.

"To encourage a sense of global citizenship, representatives of H2OpenDoors are always looking for new ways to reach out to the community," explained Peninsula Sunrise Rotary member Jon Kaufman. "This year, we have connected with students and faculty at Woodside High, giving them an opportunity to see how science can make the world a better place. Students will learn about a worldwide problem—contaminated water—and a sustainable solution—solar-powered water filtration technology."

Students at Woodside High's Green Academy will be studying the H2OpenDoors project in depth throughout the fall. As a special perk, four of the best-performing students and their teacher will travel with the installation team to Myanmar and Thailand next February. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is certain to instill the values of fairness and global consciousness, not to mention provide unforgettable memories.

A high school in Myanmar (Burma) will be the site for one of the lifesaving SunSpring™ units, which uses solar power to filter up to 5000 gallons of water per day. Woodside High and Tachilek School in Myanmar both educate high school students. But that's where all similarities end: students in the Southeast Asian school must drink contaminated water from 100-year-old cisterns and wells, putting them at risk for a whole host of serious illnesses.

Woodside High students are also getting a hands-on experience of fundraising and microfinance. They are starting an Indiegogo campaign as part of the effort to raise $30,000 for the SunSpring™ unit to be installed in Myanmar. The unit will be emblazoned with Woodside High's logo. The presentation of the new water filtration unit to the students in Myanmar figures to be one of the high points of the trip.

SunSpring™ units are manufactured by Colorado-based Innovative Water Technologies. With a price tag of $28,000, communities in the developing world need help purchasing them. That's where H2OpenDoors enters the picture, using creative, grassroots fundraising and awareness campaigns to enable their efforts.

Each local charity involved in Oktoberfest and Run will split 100% of the day's proceeds. Among the day's signature events are a series of three races: a half marathon kicking off at 8 am, a 5K run starting at 8:15 am, and a 5Kolor run. 2013 marks the first year for the 5Kolor run, in which participants will be blasted with a different colored powder after every kilometer. The event is not timed, as the organizers want to put the emphasis on fun.

Attendees at this year's OktoberFest and Run event will be spoiled for choice: in addition to the usual great selection of craft beers and traditional German food, the day will feature a stellar lineup of live entertainment, including dance performances from the Golden Gate Bavarian Club and the traditional sounds of The Internationals. Kids will have plenty to keep them engaged, too, with a fun-filled Kids Zone and a video game arcade on wheels.

About H2OpenDoors

The mission of H2OpenDoors is to bring clean, safe drinking water to people across the globe. Charitable donations and proceeds from fundraising events all go toward the purchase of SunSpring™ microbiological water purifiers. H2OpenDoors also collaborates with local schools, integrating the project's humanitarian mission into the curriculum and giving a hands-on, impactful learning experience to the kids.

About the Rotary Clubs of Redwood City

Rotary is a nonpolitical, private organization of community leaders dedicated to humanitarian projects. The promotion of peace, health and wellbeing is the mission of Rotary International.

Contact:
Jon Kaufman
Peninsula Sunrise Rotary
969 Industrial Road
San Carlos, CA 94070
650-520-6873
www.H2opendoors.org

Read more news from H2Open Doors.

SOURCE H2OpenDoors