Newswire -Los Angeles – January 30, 2012 – Non-profit organization, RainCatcher.org, announces its Clean Water Challenge 2012 (CWC12). The RainCatcher Clean Water Challenge is a national competition, targeted towards college and university student teams to raise awareness and funds to combat the world’s water crisis.
What is The Clean Water Challenge?
Clean Water Challenge 2012 is RainCatcher.org’s first annual competition marking World Water Day (March 22nd). The Challenge is open to all students and student organizations from universities across the nation who, through original video submissions, will build awareness and raise funds to improve access to clean water in thirsty parts of the globe.
Student organizations will produce and submit an original 30 – 60 second public service announcement (PSA) to enter the competition to be judged by a celebrity panel. The winners will travel to spend two days at the RainCatcher executive offices in Malibu, California, learning about the global water crisis and the inner workings of a non-profit organization.
Who is Eligible?
Students (age 18 and up) from across the United States are eligible to create a fundraising team and submit their public service announcement to RainCatcher as entry to the Clean Water Challenge.
“We wanted a way to engage future leaders and incubate some creativity in addressing and ultimately solving situational problems the world faces now,” Says David Zielski, Executive Director of RainCatcher. “We hope to use this competition as a tool to learn from others while having fun coming up with potential solutions to combat the more than one billion people today that do not have access to clean, safe water.”
Student groups (of one to five participants) will create an ambassador team on RainCatcher’s website and raise funds through their PSA, school and personal networks to promote Raincatcher.org’s mission of providing clean drinking water to countries in need.
When is it taking place?
The Clean Water Challenge will begin February 1st and run to March 22nd, giving students approximately six weeks to execute a water-education program on their own as well as raise funds through friends, family, community members, alumni, car washes, etc.
Important Dates:
Wednesday, February 1st – Entries open
Monday, March 5th – Deadline for video entries
Thursday, March 22nd – RainCatcher.org announces Winner of Clean Water Challenge 2012
How to enter?
Initial steps include forming a student team of one to five students. Students can submit an application found on this page http://www.RainCatcher.org/Challenge and then will be sent an informational package on how to start the Clean Water Challenge 2012.
Why fight the global clean water cause?
According to the World Health Organization 3.5 million people die each year from water-related diseases and 884 million people lack access to safe water supplies; approximately one in every eight –people. (UNICEF).
“This challenge is a way to engage and ignite these undergraduate- and graduate-level students in finding a way to solve a real-world problem, getting clean water to people,” says Darin Olien, Field Director of RainCatcher.
RainCatcher.org has dedicated its organization towards its 1:5:10 Mission to support the United Nations Millennium Development program to provide clean water as part of its anti-poverty goals.
To get full details on the contest and judging criteria, you can visit the Clean Water Challenge website at http://www.RainCatcher.org/Challenge. For more updates on the Clean Water Challenge, you can also follow RainCatcher on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/TheRainCatcher with hashtag #CWC12
About RainCatcher.org
RainCatcher.org is a non-profit organization, based in Malibu, California whose mission is to provide clean drinking water to impoverished regions around the world. Since 2004, RainCatcher has been providing clean drinking water solutions to communities in Kenya, Uganda, India and Haiti giving aid to more than 475,000 people worldwide.
Public Relations Contact: Ronjini Mukhopadhyay, 949/295-9779, ronjini@thesilvertelegram.com
Clean Water Challenge Contact: David Zielski, 310/457-1999, video@raincatcher.org