Friday, Apr 17, 2009

If clean, safe, drinkable water didn’t flow from your water faucet, how much would you pay for a glass? What if there was no safe water at any price?

Whitman sophomore Kelsie Butts would like the Walla Walla and Whitman communities to consider these questions and work together to make a difference for the 884 million people in the world who do not have access to clean, safe water. To that end, she has created the Water Walla Project.

April 20-26, five local restaurants will help Butts complete her project. On Tuesday and Friday evenings, the owners of Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen, Creektown Café, Pho Sho, Brasserie Four (Friday only) and Whitehouse Crawford (Friday only) will allow her to place informational literature as well as small envelopes at diners’ place settings, asking them to donate $1 for the glass of tap water they receive free with their meal. Donations can also be sent to the Water Walla Donation Account that Butts has opened at Baker Boyer Bank. All donations will go to the World Vision Clean Water Fund.

As an environmental studies major, Butts is required to complete an internship in the community. Rather than choosing to participate in a pre-designed internship, she chose to create her own, Water Walla, based on an interest she developed while still attending Southridge High School in Kennewick. Specific goals she set for herself include raising awareness on the issues of clean water in the community; getting the Walla Walla and Whitman communities working together to make a difference; expanding her own knowledge of clean water issues; and showing the film “Thirst” to kick off her project and get students and community members in the right mindset.

“Thirst” will be shown Sunday, April 19, at 7 p.m. in Maxey Auditorium. Filmed in 2003, the film explores current issues surrounding water resources, including rights, commoditization and human rights concerns. Communities in Bolivia, India, and the United States dealing with water rights issues are depicted in the movie.

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CONTACT: Lenel Parish, Whitman College News Service, (509) 527-5156, parishlj@whitman.edu
or Kelsie Butts, (509) 430-3584, buttskm@whitman.edu