Walkathon For Clean Water Coming To Verona Park: ‘Fountains Of Hope’

UPDATE: The walkathon has been postponed to Saturday, June 21 at the same time. Our original article follows below.

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A nonprofit in Essex County will host a family friendly walkathon this weekend to help raise money to reconstruct water wells overseas.

Embrace Relief, an international humanitarian aid group based in Fairfield, will hold its fourth annual “H₂Ow Far Can You Walk?” 5K event on Saturday, June 14 at Verona Park.

According to the nonprofit, the benefit event will raise money and awareness for its Fountains of Hope program, which reconstructs broken and abandoned water wells in sub-Saharan Africa.

Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. for the free, family-friendly and dog-friendly event, which begins at 10:30 a.m. The rain date is Saturday, June 21. Learn more about this local event here.

Here’s what to expect, organizers said:

“Attendees will enjoy a full day of engaging activities including food/drink vendors, games for all ages, a photo/selfie station, and interactive experiences that will provide a glimpse into the challenges that millions of people endure daily to have safe drinking water. Finally, participants may enjoy a fun, non-competitive, five-kilometer (3.1-mile) walk through one of North Jersey’s most scenic and beautiful parks.”

Attendees can register for the event on Embrace Relief’s website. Those who wish to support the Fountains of Hope program directly may make a donation either in-person at the 5K or through the website.

Local businesses are also invited to show their support by purchasing a sponsorship, which can include the building of a water well in the business’ name. Email info@embracerelief.org for more information.

Embrace Relief offered some background about the motivation behind its Fountains of Hope program:

“In the United States, clean water is easily accessible, safe, and abundant. But in sub-Saharan Africa, more than 200 million people live without a reliable, easy-to-access source of clean water. In countless communities, women and young girls are often forced to walk 5+ kilometers each day to collect water — often from unprotected rivers, lakes, or watering holes which may be contaminated with disease. The burden and risks of daily water collection not only endanger their health but also limits their opportunities for education, employment, and overall well-being. While building water wells offers a sustainable solution, approximately half of Africa’s wells are broken or abandoned due to poor maintenance.”

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