Almost one billion people on Earth do not have access to clean drinking water. More than 4,000 children die every day from water-related diseases.

On Saturday, October 5, DigDeep Water will hold its second annual Walk 4 Water at Fairfield Hills.

Walk 4 Water is an educational experience/fundraising event that raises funds and awareness on behalf of DigDeep Water, a nonprofit human rights organization that defends the human right to water for all people on earth through innovative education and water access projects. DigDeep Water (DigDeepWater.org) is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible. All money raised through Walk 4 Water goes directly to DigDeep’s water access projects, like wells.

Walk 4 Water is an opportunity for families, friends, organizations, and offices. There is no fee to participate, but a minimum $20 donation for DigDeep is requested per person.

It is simple to help, according the organization: start by setting a fundraising goal for yourself or a team. Then begin raising money today by asking friends, family, and neighbors for their support. The day of the walk, participants will transition from fundraising to education.

A three-mile walk around the campus — representing the average distance women and children in Africa typically must walk each day in order to retrieve water — will have participants experiencing both the distance walked and the weight of water once it is obtained. During the first half of the walk participants will be empty handed, and then during the second half walkers will be carrying two two-liter bottles filled with water.

The experience offers one aspect of water poverty, first-hand. It offers those at Walk 4 Water the opportunity to understand what millions of women and children go through each day.

Children and those unable to walk the full distance or unable to carry the full weight of the water will still be welcomed, Mr Plaue said. Attendees can register and begin fundraising in advance, register that morning, or even attend without participating in the walk.

Walkers should try to bring their own empty two-liter bottles. A limited supply will be available. Organizers will have water available with which to fill the bottles for carrying water. Walkers should also bring something to help them carry the water (backpack, gym bag, etc).

Wear comfortable walking shoes, and appropriate clothing for the weather.

The walk will begin from Keating Farms Avenue. Signs will be posted from the main entrance of Fairfield Hills, off Wasserman Way, to the walk site.

Registration and walk begins at 8:30 am, and should take most walkers between 90 minutes to two hours to complete.

Pledge forms (which can be downloaded, a new addition to the fundraising efforts this year) are available on the DigDeep Water blog.

For additional information on the walk or to become a life-saving sponsor, contact event organizer David Plaue at 203-297-3870 or david@DigDeepWater.org. Additional information is also available on Facebook (DigDeep Walk 4 Water – Newtown, CT).