Follett Sponsors the Third Annual Star-Studded Thirst Gala Honoring Efforts to End the Global Water Crisis

OAK BROOK, Ill., June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Follett Higher Education Group today announced it will sponsor the third annual Thirst Gala, an event hosted by The Thirst Project to honor those committed to ending the global water crisis. The Thirst Project is a nonprofit organization working to educate students about the issue and helping to build water wells around the world to create and promote access to clean drinking water. 

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Follett will donate $25,000 to help Thirst achieve its fundraising goals. The company's support of Thirst is based on a shared commitment to ensuring young people have access to essential resources and knowledge. Follett seeks ways to drive student success by ensuring they have affordable access to the textbooks they need. Likewise, Thirst works to help people gain access to clean drinking water – a problem that affects more than one billion people around the world. A freshwater well in most developing nations costs as little as $5,000 to build, and can change an entire community's lives forever.

"The Thirst Project's global outreach and accomplishments continue to demonstrate how access to reliable resources can mean a world of difference," said Thomas Christopher, president, Follett Higher Education Group. "We are proud to support an organization that helps young people gain access to a fundamental resource."

To generate greater awareness for the cause with its network of college students, Follett awarded Saint Joseph's University student Edian Castro with an all-expenses paid trip to the star-studded Thirst gala as part of a Facebook contest. Over a nine-day period, the contest received entries from thousands of students across the U.S.

This year's Thirst Gala attendees will include cast members from Glee, Twilight, MTV's Teen Wolf and more. The black tie event will be hosted by NCIS star Pauley Perrette and will honor last year's Thirst Gala host Chyler Leigh of Grey's Anatomy as well as actor and producer Nathan West. The Thirst Gala will be held on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

"Follett's partnership enables The Thirst Project to reach and engage thousands of college students who are passionate about ending the global water crisis," said Seth Maxwell, Founder of The Thirst Project. "Their support has been vital in our efforts to drive awareness of the need for accessible, clean drinking water in communities around the world."

Follett's ongoing support for The Thirst Project includes the Road Warriors internship program and the donation of proceeds from select products toward the construction of safe water wells. To date, Follett has provided funds to build two wells and continues to sponsor fundraising efforts.

Follett provides more than five million students with access to affordable textbook choices, through rental and digital options such as Rent-A-Text and CafeScribe. As the largest bookstore textbook rental program in the country, Follett has rented millions of books and saved students more than $300 million to-date.

About The Thirst Project
The Thirst Project is a movement of High School & College Students that exists to raise awareness of and bring solutions to the clean water crisis through Education Outreach Programs that educate, equip and empower individuals to explore the human journey and take action in projects that create radical and sustainable global change, and champion hope and respect for the positive values of life.

About Follett Higher Education Group
Follett Higher Education Group of Oak Brook, Illinois, is the leading provider of bookstore services and the foremost supplier of used books in North America. Follett services five million students and over 400,000 faculty members through more than 900 stores. Follett also services more than 1,600 independent campus stores with its wholesale services, and has the most visited ecommerce collegiate website, efollett.com, that provides services and products through a network of more than 1000 campus stores.

SOURCE Follett Higher Education Group