Story by Michelle Hawks, Contributing writer
At its first meeting of the semester, members of the WAVE leadership team presented a $3,500 check to Living Waters for the World, a global nonprofit that has installed and maintained over 814 water purification systems in 25 countries.
WAVE is an organization that was created by Roger Weis, Nonprofit Leadership Studies professor, to fundraise money for Living Waters for the World. The organization’s goal is to provide clean water for Guatemala, which Weis said has the worst water conditions in the world.
He said there are still 600 million people in the world who have unclean water, something he finds unacceptable. Weis said he realizes the goal to eradicate contaminated water is bold, but it is something that has to be done.
“I’ll do it until I have no breath to give,” Weis said. “I don’t feel comfortable knowing that one person has unclean water.”
The check presented to Living Waters for the World marked the second water purification system WAVE has funded in Guatemala.
The organization fundraises throughout the year, and this semester they will be doing a “Bucket Brigade” and other campus activities, including setting up a table at the Curris Center.
Malley Johnson, junior nonprofit leadership major from Cunningham, Kentucky, and president of WAVE, said they are brainstorming new ideas for fundraising on campus.
“If you tell people about it, they will be willing to help,” Johnson said.
She said one of the goals for this semester is to involve the various campus ministries.
“I would really love to bring them together,” Johnson said.
Various corporations, such as Don Sol and Future Grounds, are represented on the leadership team.
“We get as much from corporate sponsors as we do from student activities,” Weis said.
Other members of the leadership team include Ruth Ragovin, minister at First Christian Church in Murray, Kentucky, and Winston Adams. Weis said he hopes to grow the team throughout the semester.
WAVE meets the first Thursday of every month at 5 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church. For more information, contact Malley Johnson at mjohnson83@murraystate.edu.