By Paola D. Rodriguez
UT Elementary School fifth-graders got exercise and raised $1,400 for a school in Tanzania as part of the 2nd Annual Lil’ Longhorn Walk4Water held on April 16.
Twenty students and ten adults walked six kilometers around Ladybird Lake, all while carrying 6 liters of water. The students brought plastic bottles and jugs and filled them with water from the lake before setting out to complete the walk.
Mary Ledbetter, UTES fifth-grade teacher and coordinator of the event said, “We surpassed our goal of raising $1,000 for our sponsor school through the non-profit, H2O for Life, to have a rainwater collection system and running water! I am very proud of UT Elementary for pulling together again this year to help another school have clean water.” All proceeds will go toward building a well near the school.
Ledbetter is proud of the work that her students have accomplished by participating in Walk4Water. “The impact that I have seen these past two years has been an increase in students showing empathy towards others outside our community,” she said. “They have seen that their contribution here at UT Elementary can help people all over the world.”
