Six kilometers (3.74 miles) is the average distance that people in the developing world walk for water — water that is often contaminated with life-threatening diseases. Nearly 1,000 children under age five die every day from diarrhea caused by contaminated water, poor sanitation, and improper hygiene. On Saturday, May 19, over 44,000 participants from around the globe walked or ran 6k to bring life-changing clean water to communities in need. Each participant's $50 registration fee provided clean water for one person.
The Soles of Medfield is a running group that was started a few years ago by John Trigg. They meet on Saturday mornings for a group run and often participate in races and events in the area. The idea to participate in the Global 6k was thrown out to the group by Bob Morrill; the runner's registrations and donations raised over $1,000 for World Vision’s clean water initiatives. Shaw’s of Medfield generously donated $25 to provide the runners with water and snacks for after the run.
The weather forecast did not look good for Saturday morning, and one of the coordinators emailed: “How can we not run a run for water in the rain?” But the weather held out and it turned out to be a perfect morning.
As they ran, one runner stated while climbing Hillcrest (for the third time): “First world problems! We get to run up hills on a beautiful day, but at least we’re not carrying gallons of water because we have to.”
Those interested in being added to the weekly email to keep up with the Soles' weekly runs, or learning how to donate to the Global 6k, are encouraged to email SolesofMedfield@Gmail.com.
The Soles can also be found on Facebook (“The Soles of Medfield”) or their new website: https://solesofmedfield.wixsite.com/soles.
It’s not too late to donate to help bring clean water to communities in need. To donate, visit http://tiny.cc/solesofmedfield.
