Battle for the Pump is really taking off this year! Check out this post on what the Southern States Athletic Conference is doing.

The 14 colleges and universities that compose the Southern States Athletic Conference (the SSAC) recently teamed up to help provide clean water to Africa. Although the schools often find themselves in competition against one another, they came together for Battle for the Pump with one common goal: to raise enough money to build a clean water well in Africa. Each school had the individual objective of raising $1,000 through the creative efforts of its student athletes. They are wrapping up their fundraising this week. Stayed tuned and we will let you know if they reach their $10,000 collective goal!

The student athletes utilized a variety of fundraising methods to achieve their goals. One soccer team convinced school employees to pledge $1 for every goal they scored during home games. A cheer team gave up their Saturday morning to clean a private workout facility and then donated their payment to the cause. Still other teams passed around traditional jerry can water jugs during halftime to collect donations from fans and spectators.

Caleb Hill, a member of the men’s soccer team at Faulkner University, said, “I have been so blessed to have the necessities of life so abundantly that I often take it for granted. I hope that through Blood:Water, we as a conference can make a difference in the lives of many.”

So how can you make a difference? Do you have teammates, classmates, or coworkers who might want to get involved? What creative ways can you think of to make a difference in the fight for clean water? We’d love to hear your ideas!

If you’d like to launch your own Battle for the Pump, contact Michael Dean at mdean@bloodwater.org or 615.5504296!