Cook rode though Botetourt raising funds and awareness for water in Africa
Design Outreach to Hold Third Annual Golden Cup Event to Fight Water Poverty in Africa
On a cool evening after a hot day, Michael Cook was hosted by the Montgomery’s on ” The Ridge” in Troutville off Catawba Rd and members of the community. The event took place on Thursday June 23rd. After a pot luck meal, Cook from Indiana talked about the lack of potable water in Malawi, Africa and around the world. He was riding a bicycle along the TransAmerica Bicycle Route from Eureka, Kansas.
He used two bottles to show the difference from the water many drink verses pure well water. It was a striking contrast.
Here are some facts he presented:
2.2 Billion people do not have easy access to potable water.
It takes many village daughters from 2 a.m. to 8 pm to walk to a water source, fetch five gallons of water which they hold in a container on top of their head and carry back to the family.
2,300 people per day die of water-borne illness which is equavilent to 5 Jumbo jet crashes.
He also gave testament to faith in God and how that has brought well water to about 100,000 already in 2 years using the LifePump for deep wells. He went to Malawi and watched the process. It has been transforming for the people there and for him, too.
Here is the Design Outreach press release
Event brings global teams together to bike, run, and walk to raise money for safe water access in Malawi
COLUMBUS, OHIO (June 1, 2022). Design Outreach (DO), a non-profit, humanitarian engineering organization working to solve water poverty, is launching its third annual Golden Cup event. Led by cross-country cyclist and engineer Michael Cook, the event will raise awareness of the challenges facing global communities that lack access to safe drinking water. Fundraising from the event will help to fund nine new water pumps, called LifePumps, that will be installed in Malawi, Africa.
“We’re excited to hit the road for another year of cycling, walking, and running,” said Greg Bixler, co-founder and CEO of Ohio-based Design Outreach. “Our goal is to help nine communities in Malawi. Each year, we welcome more participants into our program and we’re grateful for all of their contributions to fund safe, clean water access in Africa and globally.”
The Golden Cup is a walk, run, and ride event held over two weeks each summer to raise funds for rural communities that lack access to safe, reliable drinking water. DO’s goal this year is to raise $153,000—enough funds to equip nine Malawian communities with a LifePump™ and LifePumpLinkTM remote monitor. The campaign will also raise funds to help train new volunteer teams in Africa.
Founded in 2020 by long-time DO supporter and engineering volunteer Michael Cook, the Golden Cup began as one man’s mission to cycle across America in an effort to raise awareness of the global need for clean water. This year, Cook plans to ride more than 1,650 miles along the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. He will be accompanied by his wife Rebecca and their support vehicle, Jubilee.
“People sometimes ask me why I want to bike across America,” said Cook. “It’s an amazing adventure to ride my e-bike across backcountry, two-lane roads, see the beautiful scenery, and meet so many wonderful, friendly people across the USA. I’m also motivated to spread the news of the desperate need for clean water in poverty-stricken communities around the world. More than two billion people live without access to nearby safe drinking water. It’s my goal to encourage people to join the cause by getting some healthy outdoor exercise and raising funds for clean water at the same time. For me, it’s an incredibly worthwhile challenge, and an opportunity to educate others about the life-transforming work being done by Design Outreach, and inspire them to partner with DO to provide life-saving water for communities in Malawi.”
Cook, who recently joined DO as R&D Partnerships Director after many years in the orthopedic industry, will launch his ride on June 8. He’ll start in Eureka, Kansas, and travel east. He plans to finish his ride in Yorktown, Virginia on June 27.
Cook will be matched in his biking and fundraising efforts by individuals and teams who are invited to join the fun by participating in a physical activity—such as walking, riding, running, swimming, or kayaking—during the two weeks of the Golden Cup initiative (June 8-27). All funds raised will be used to provide safe drinking water in Malawi. Registration is $50.
“We welcome the participation of anyone who wants to go outside and get moving,” Bixler said. “It’s a great challenge—getting exercise while raising money for communities that often lack even the most basic sources of safe drinking water.”
DO remains a lean operation. The group has only 30 global employees, and depends greatly on the work of its 34 volunteers. To date, 183 LifePumps have been installed globally across Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean. Bixler estimates that LifePumps have saved the lives of more than 100,000 people globally.
LifePumps are durable, hand-powered, and reach deeper than other manual water pumps, enabling communities to access water at greater depths than previously thought possible. DO has set a goal of helping 1,000 communities globally with LifePumps in the next three years.
Learn more about LifePump.
Click here for more information on DO’s Golden Cup 2022.
Water is a precious resource.
–Cathy Benson
