Ancaster News

 

A large group of Rotarians including District Governor Jack D’Amico, Past District Governors Karen Oakes and Bob Bruce, Nan Bruce, Karen’s husband Wolfgang Lindemann, members of the Ancaster Rotary Club and Renold Estime of the Verrette Haiti Rotary Club, joined with students from 3 elementary schools in Hamilton for the Hamilton Walks for Haiti Walkathon.  The 5 KM Haiti Walkathon raised over $23,100 and was hosted by the Water Department of the City of Hamilton Public Works Department.  It was created to help celebrate World Water Day which is March 22^nd. DG Jack was heard to say the day ‘Lit Up Rotary’ as the event raised enough for the Haiti Water For Life Program to build five more wells.  Over the past eleven years the money raised by this annual Walkathon has been enough to drill 43 wells in Haiti.  In his remarks Renold Estime outlined to the students how their efforts would make it possible for children in villages in Haiti to spend less time carrying water and perhaps even permit some who currently do not have time, to be able to attend school. 

 

In a practical hands on opportunity, students were able to use a hand pump to fill a bucket of water at the half way point and then transport it back to the starting point to partially fill a large reservoir.  The participants hauled enough water over their 2.5 km carry route to represent about one quarter of what an average Hamilton family would use in a day.  This illustrates how easily we use water which is a scarce commodity for so many people in the world. 

 

The Haiti Water For Life Program over the past 19 years has drilled 258 wells, installed cisterns and a pipeline and over 800 latrines in the Artibonite Valley of central Haiti.  It is a partnership between the Rotary Club of Ancaster and Hopital Albert Schweitzer, the Verrette, Ti Riviere and St. Marc Rotary Clubs in Haiti.  With the support of many clubs in District 7090 & 7080, individual donors, foundations and the Rotary Foundation it has raised in excess of 2.5 million dollars Canadian.  Its founder, Rotarian Roy Sheldrick, has told the story to many clubs and organizations over the years and continues to travel to Haiti each year to oversee the work carried out.