On Saturday, May 20, 2023, thousands will unite across the world and right here in Dillon for the world’s biggest 6K for clean water, World Vision’s annual Global 6K for Water. People will walk or run 6 kilometers to provide clean water and hygiene to those in the developing world.
Rev. Raymond Davis of Great Expectations Church is leading the 6K in Dillon. The team is called Dillon 6k for Water and can be found on the worldvision.org site. One can sign up for the team or make a donation.
Why a 6K one might ask? Rev. Davis said the average distance many women and children in the developing world walk for water is 6K, which equals 3.7 miles.
More than 800 children under the age of five die daily from diarrhea caused by dirty water, Davis said. World Vision creates clean water opportunities for these people. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development, and advocacy activities in its work with children, families, and their communities in nearly 100 countries to help them reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. World Vision is the largest nongovernmental (NGO) provider of clean water in the developing world.
The registration fee of $50 for the Global 6K ($25 for those 18 and under) will cover clean water for a lifetime for one of these children, Rev. Davis said.
People all around the world will be walking the 6K on the same day. This is the first one held in Dillon, and everyone is welcome to become involved by either registering for the walk on the Dillon 6K for Water team on the World Vision website or by making a donation. The Dillon walk will begin and end at Great Expectations Church, which is located at 701 Highway 301 North, Dillon (old Dillon Church of God).
Those who register for the walk will receive a bib and a link with information about the child they are walking for in the event.
In 2020, World Vision reached 3.4 million people with sustainable sources of clean water, 1.8 million people with water during emergency situations and 2.7 million people with improved sanitation. In the developing world, three billion people do not have handwashing options in their homes.
To combat virus spread, the organization reached 8.2 million people with hygiene promotion and provided handwashing facilities to over 4,700 schools. They also equipped nearly 1 million households with handwashing facilities. In efforts to protect vital frontline healthcare workers, handwashing facilities were constructed at nearly 2,500 healthcare clinics.
“After living through the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve all realized how critical access to clean water is—it’s life or death. There are millions who do not have access to clean water to even wash their hands making them extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 and other water-borne diseases,” said Ashley Colquitt-Finley, the Global 6K for Water Race Director. “World Vision provides clean water to one person every 10 seconds. The Global 6K for Water gives people an opportunity to get outside with friends and family while making a global impact.”
You can also learn more by watching this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xE4U6lk9s4 which will tell you more about the event.
Register or learn more today by visiting WorldVision6K.org and join the team, Dillon 6K For Water, and Great Expectations Church in addressing a global problem.