News

Walking for Africa

Posted November 23, 2008 10:00 pm

By Sheila Ahern

Andrea Howat registers people for the local leg of "The Walk Around the World," sponsored by the Hanson brothers' "Take The Walk" campaign, which is fighting poverty and AIDS in Africa. Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

More than 200 Hanson fans took a lap around the Schaumburg Township District Library on Nov. 16 to raise money for clean water in Africa.

It was all thanks to Andrea Howat, the local organizer for "Take The Walk" a campaign launched by Hanson and the band's fans.

Here's how it works: People like Howat host a 1-mile walk in their town and for every person that participates, Hanson (and its company supporters) donate a $1 to a cause in Africa.

The goal of "Take the Walk" is to have Hanson fans walk a total of 24,902 miles, the total length around the Earth.

Howat's walk raised $200 for Bloodwater Mission, a nonprofit organization that promotes clean blood and clean water efforts in Africa, reducing the impact of the HIV/AIDS while addressing the underlying issues of poverty, injustice and oppression. The organization builds clean water wells, for medical facilities, and focuses on community transformation in Africa.

A clean water well costs $3,000 to build, according to the group's Web site.

"You can pick the cause and I picked clean water," said Howat, a 23-year-old Arlington Heights resident. "I'm a dancer so I know how important water is. Water is pretty essential to everything."

Walkers came from as far as Rockford and Tinley Park, Howat said.

Sondra Abbott heard about the walk on a Christian radio station and decided to stop by.

"I thought I can really make a difference just by showing up on a Sunday afternoon," said the Hanover Park resident. "It was great to see so many people give up their time. It's just something simple but it makes a difference." For more information, check out takethewalk.net.

Walkers for "The Walk Around the World," fight poverty and AIDS in Africa, right, walk past the Dominicks next to the Schaumburg library. Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

Andrea Howat, local organizer for "Take The Walk" charity walk in Schaumburg, addresses more than 200 walkers halfway through their mile walk. Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

Andrea Howat, right, leads walkers through the parking lot across from the Schaumburg library. The walk helped raise money to build a clean water well in Africa. Bob Chwedyk | Staff Photographer

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