Gardner Hall lobby will conduct an event called Abilene City Limits April 16 from 7-9 p.m. to raise donations for the non-profit organization Wishing Well International.
There will be free homemade food provided by ACU students and music from local Abilene performers.
Wishing Well International has provided clean water to more than 30,000 people worldwide. Previously, the organization partnered with other drilling companies to build its wells. However, within the past year, the organization purchased its own drilling equipment in Rwanda.
By purchasing its own equipment, the cost of building its wells reduced from as much as $20,000 per well, to only $5,000 per well.
“The difference between Wishing Well and other drilling organizations is that they train the locals to build and sustain the wells themselves,” said Delaney Noel, co-director of ACU Wishing Well. “Many times, westerners come in and build the wells. However, when they leave, the locals do not know how to fix the wells if they break.”
Now, ACU Wishing Well has move beyond just building wells.
“Wishing Well International helps create jobs and build community in addition to building wells,” said Noel, senior exercise science major from Littleton, Colorado.
ACU Wishing Well organizes one fundraiser per semester. Last semester, it had an art show fundraiser that raised over $15,000 in donations.
But donating money is not the only way to get involved with the organization on campus. ACU Wishing Well has Chapel every Thursday in the Onstead-Packer Bible Building, room 103.
“Everyone is encouraged to come,” said Maddie Pounds, junior elementary education major from Fredericksburg and co-director of ACU Wishing Well. “The purpose of Wishing Well is to empower those communities and change lives. We want to imitate that mission in our on-campus organization.”
