Hard at Work for Water.

Since the NFL season ended, I’ve been focusing on the clean water fight.

During my trip to Tanzania in early March, I met with our partners at WorldServe International to visit newly constructed wells and our next set of potential sites. In every village that is waiting for a well, there is a tension between excitement and managing the day-to-day realities of living without this resource. Today, the families we visited are just some of the 2.1 billion people who have no safe water at home. We know that people need our help, and they need our focus. Our team’s aim is to fund new wells quickly, approach construction efficiently and provide the necessary training to villagers for sustainable use and maintenance. We do this because we hold fast to the belief that the water crisis is solvable.

Thanks for our fundraising focus during Q1, we funded 6 wells so far this year!

• Well #54: our first donor-funded well of 2019
• Well #55: our second Hoops2o well
• Well #56: named in my honor as a birthday gift (ya’ll are the best!)
• Well #57: thanks to the partnership of MMA fighter and 2018 Conquering Kili class member, Justin Wren and the Fight For the Forgotten
• Well #58: from our friends at Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh
• Well #59: our third Hoops2o well

This list is a beautiful reminder that the Waterboys community has grown and embraced the bigger goal of delivering clean water to 1 million people in need.

So what’s next?

We just launched our 2020 Conquering Kili applications, almost 2 months earlier than ever before!

Conquering Kili is our cornerstone program that empowers veterans, professional athletes, and clean water advocates to continue their commitment to service and bettering communities by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and raising funds to build sustainable water wells for East African communities in desperate need.

If you or someone you know shares our passion for collective impact and wants to join us, here is what you can expect from our program:

• Fundraising tools, support, and information about the water crisis and the impact of Waterboys/Conquering Kili in East Africa.
• One-on-one fundraising coaching to give you support building materials, developing campaigns and/or planning events.
• Guidance on preparing for the trip – including training plans and preparation checklist.
• Monthly emails to keep you connected to the Conquering Kili groups and notable events.
• 10 – 14 day trip to Tanzania to visit villages and summit Mt. Kilimanjaro
• A life-impacting experience in a dynamic team environment that will have real and meaningful change for communities in desperate need.

Applications are open until May 24.

As always, thanks for your support and partnership!

Chris Long
Defensive End
Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl Champion LI & LII
2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year