By Heather Collins
The Fishers Rotary will help raise funds to provide fresh water to the people of Sierra Leone when it hosts its fifth annual Water is Life Charity Ball 6 p.m. to midnight Dec. 3.
Sierra Leone is similar to Indiana in land mass and population. It ranks near the bottom of the Human Development Index created by the United Nations Development Programme, ranking 181 out of 188. In comparison, Norway is first on the Human Development Index and the United State is eighth.
To date, the Fishers Rotary has funded 100 wells in Sierra Leone. Thirty additional wells have been funded and are being built. The 130 wells will help serve up to 150,000 people, providing fresh, safe water. The Fishers Rotary has connected with Sierra Leone’s rotary, Rotary Club of Freetown. Members of the Rotary Club of Freetown will attend the Water is Life Charity Ball.
“The relationships that we build with each other in service allows us to do more here as well in other places in the world,” said Tom Branum, co-chair of the Water is Life Charity Ball. “There is so much that can be done. There’s so many good people that you can get to know if you serve and get out in the community.”
The money raised at the charity ball will be doubled by the International Rotary Foundation. Typically, the Fishers Rotary raises between $40,000 to $50,000 during the charity ball.
Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 6 p.m. followed by a three-course meal catered by MBP Distinctive Catering. The featured live auction items include two trips to Sierra Leone to visit the wells and experience the country, a luxury time share that sleeps up to eight people at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Thomas and a suite at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to see the Pacers for up to 20 people, food and beverages included. Living Proof will perform and the event will include a mobile-based silent auction throughout the evening.
The event will be held at Forum Corporate and Convention Center at 11313 USA Pkwy. Tickets are $100. For more, visit fisherswaterislife.com.
