November 2004 Archives

A little rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the 200 attendees at the city of Fullerton’s annual Alternative Gift Faire held in November. At press time, nearly $10,000 had been raised and donations are still coming in. According to the event chair, Stacie Ressler, the African Well Fund set a record for first-time participants – over $300 in donations were collected. Due to this success, the African Well Fund has been invited to participate in the 2005 faire.

The Alternative Gift Faire is a yearly event held in Fullerton, CA, and is sponsored by local churches. An Alternative Gift Fair is a great way to purchase items to honor friends and relatives with donations to causes that fit their values. The African Well Fund offered alternative gifts such as t-shirts, water bottles and also “Well Share” certificates.

This year 14 different organizations were involved. The African Well Fund was represented by Donna Laughlin, Robert Hoffarth, Annette Quintero, and Caroline Lam. “It was a lot of fun”, said Donna Laughlin. “The event was fast paced, with lots of entertainment. Everyone had a great time. I’m glad we were invited back next year.”

For more information on Alternative Gift Faires, please contact Elizabeth Beech at ebeech@africanwellfund.org.

While the AWF’s mission is to provide access to clean water, we recognize the link between the need for healthy water and fighting the HIV virus. AIDS patients suffer from weakened immune systems, which makes them more at risk for contracting water-borne diseases and infections.

The African Well Fund would like to join the many and varied organizations throughout the world who are commemorating World AIDS day on Dec. 1st. From Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, the African Well Fund will conduct our second annual virtual candlelight vigil. Please light a virtual candle and leave a message in honor of the many people affected by AIDS.

World AIDS Day celebrates the progress made against the epidemic as well as focusing on the challenges that remain, and of course, honoring our fallen brothers and sisters.

OMAHA, NE – The African Well Fund is pleased to have participated in the recent U2 listening party held by local radio station 89.7 The River.

The event, which took place on Monday, 22 November 2004, was held by the radio station to promote and celebrate the release of U2’s latest album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. More than 100 people came to Club Patrick, a popular nightclub located in west Omaha, to hear the album a day early and take part in a drawing for tickets to see the band live during their upcoming tour.

The African Well Fund occupied one of only three tables at the event, and was the only organization present not involved with the contest. Though most were unfamiliar with the AWF and its mission, the crowd was very receptive, thanks in large part to the work of the DJs from The River. People signed up for information or to volunteer, and the AWF raised $70 – a good sum for an event at which we weren’t the main focus.

The African Well Fund looks forward to more events in the Omaha area, and would like to thank Jake, Sophia and the rest of the crew from 89.7 The River for their interest in and support of our organization.

AWF Treasurer Diane Yoder addresses the crowd at the Boston HRC

This past weekend’s Swinging to the Music parties were a tremendous success, raising more than $1000 to benefit the African Well Fund! This money will be used to fund clean water projects in Africa and will have a significant impact on the lives of many Africans. For more details and pictures from the events, please visit http://www.atu2.com/events/04/swinging/.

The AWF would like to thank all those who attended the parties, bought our merchandise and signed up for the mailing list. Your support has been and continues to be a keystone of our success.

The AWF would also like to thank all the staff at @U2 who worked so hard to make the parties a success. Organizing three major events in three separate cities is something that is beyond the scope of our grassroots organization at present. What a wonderful gift it was to have been the recipients of your hard work. More importantly, what a wonderful gift for the people of Africa!

AWF members Diane Yoder and Anne man the AWF table at the Boston Hard Rock Cafe

The African Well Fund would like to thank Matt Wash and Mr. Conley’s English students for their recent donation. Matt is an 11th grader at Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois. He has been a volunteer with AWF for almost two years. Matt’s English teacher, William Conley, sells candy to his students. Once $100 has been collected it is donated to the charity of any student’s choice, on a first come, first served basis. Matt suggested the AWF and recently the $100 threshold was reached and was donated.

We would like to thank Matt, Mr. Conley and all the students who contributed. As always, this contribution will have a significant impact on the lives of many Africans.

Members of the African Well Fund recently traveled to Washington D.C. for our annual board meeting as well as various committee meetings. While in D.C., board members met with Africare staff and also attended Africare’s annual Bishop John T. Walker Memorial Dinner.

Meeting with Africare

African Well Fund members with LMichael Green at Africare House

AWF members attended a meeting on Thursday Nov. 4th at Africare House in Washington D.C. AWF was warmly welcomed by Africare staff including the new Vice President of Marketing and Development, LMichael Green. Africare Senior Vice President, Jeannine Scott opened the meeting with a welcoming address. Other Africare staff present were: Alan Alemian, Anglophone Regional Director, Curt Valentine, Anglophone Regional Program Manager, Steronica Dunston, Development Officer and Patricia Owens, Development Associate. Africare provided an updated total of funds raised since inception, $53,470.46. AWF used the opportunity to present Africare with a check for $1,000, the proceeds from the Picture This! fundraiser and the LA U2 fan gathering. This brings our grand total of funds raised to $54,470.46.

AWF Chairman Julie Cook presents LMichael Green with $1000 check

We also received an update on proposed well-building activities for 2004. Previously, the 2004 funds were earmarked for well-building in Ethiopia. However, because of weather related problems as well as civil unrest that necessitated the evacuation of Africare’s office in Gambella, well-building in Ethiopia will not be possible this year. Instead AWF funds will be directed to well-building programs in Uganda. AWF will have information in the next few weeks about these specific projects and an updated status report on our 2003 wells.

AWF and Africare discussed future projects and collaborations including the possibility of funding dyke and dam building projects as a more cost efficient way of bringing access to clean water to wider populations.

The 2004 Africare Bishop John T. Walker Memorial Dinner

AWF Chairman Julie Cook speaks to Senator Lugar at Africare Dinner

On Friday, Nov. 5th, AWF attended the 2004 Africare Bishop John T. Walker Memorial Dinner at the Hilton Washington Hotel. This year the Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award was presented to Senator Richard G. Lugar and Congressman Donald M. Payne in recognition of bipartisan congressional engagement with Africa. Also present at the dinner and one of the evening’s speakers was U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. More details about the dinner as well as video from the event can be found on at www.africare.org. AWF is proud to have been part of an event that raised almost $1 million for Africare’s program in Africa.

AWF Meetings

While in Washington, AWF members met in both a full board meeting and various other committee meetings. Discussions were held and plans were made for next year and beyond. AWF continues to grow and expand but is also in need of committed volunteers to do so. If you would like to help, please visit our Get Involved page for more information on how to help.

Every month, The African Well Fund receives numerous inquiries from people who are interested in more information about fundraising for our organization. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the interest rarely translates into action beyond this initial inquiry.

Kelly Collingwood, a high school senior from Williamsburg, Iowa has been a wonderful exception to this rule. During this past summer, Kelly contacted us for further information. Kelly had become aware of the plight suffered by many Africans and wanted to raise enough money to fund a well. As we explained to Kelly, we are very much a grassroots organization and, while we do provide some logistical support, we depend on our volunteers to conduct fundraisers independently.

Kelly was not at all daunted by this requirement. She devised her own fundraising plan, mailing out a letter to local businesses. In it, she explained her quest to fund a well and the motivation behind it. To date she has received $660 from local businesses, including a $500 donation from Folkmann Heating and Plumbing. She has many plans to continue her efforts to reach her goal of $5000. She is working on involving her church and her school.

The African Well Fund would like to salute Kelly and her passion to make a difference. Her efforts, combined with her community’s generosity, will have a significant impact on the lives of those in a community half a world away. For further information or if you would like to contribute to Kelly’s fundraiser, please contact her at kcollingwood05@hotmail.com or Kelly Collingwood 2202 240th St., Williamsburg, IA 52361.

The African Well Fund is pleased to announce we will be participating in Fullerton, CA’s “Alternative Gift Fair”. The fair takes place on Sun. Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Downtown Plaza, Wilshire Avenue between Harbor and Pomona Ave. The fair is sponsored by several area churches.

An Alternative Gift Fair is a positive holiday experience and a fun way to bypass the annual stress of holiday shopping and "stuff" accumulation while honoring friends and relatives with donations to causes that fit their values. AWF is thrilled to be joining other organizations such as Heifer International and Habitat for Humanity at this event. We will offer an array of alternative gifts such as t-shirts, water bottles and also “Well Share” certificates. All proceeds go directly to well-building programs in Africa.

The African Well Fund is thrilled to have been designated recipient of all net proceeds from @U2’s recently announced fan celebrations. The “Swinging to the Music” parties will be held on Sunday Nov. 21st in Boston, St. Louis and Seattle. For further details please visit @U2's party page.

An AWF representative will be present at each event with updates on our latest projects, AWF merchandise for sale and information on volunteer and fund-raising opportunities. Looking forward to seeing you there!

@U2 just celebrated its 9th anniversary and is one of the premier U2 fan websites on the Internet today. @U2 was recently named as one of 5 worldwide finalists in the “People’s Choice – Best Unofficial Site” category at the 2004 Digital Music Awards.