The Online Reflector

On April 16, at 2 p.m., Ransburg Auditorium was filled with a cause. That cause? The Thirst Project. This organization is a non-profit started by college students who saw that they could make a change in the world. The Thirst Project takes strides toward solving the world water crisis by building wells in communities where there is no access to clean, safe drinking water.

Joel Levi performs as part of the Thirst Project benefit concert, held in collaboration with CPB, Interfaith Forum and The Deliverance Project on April 16. Photo by Kayla Prosser.

The Thirst Project Benefit Concert was put on this year as a collaborative effort between Campus Program Board, Interfaith Forum and The Deliverance Project. The performers were opening act Joel Levi and headliner Jon McLaughlin, both Indiana natives. Seth Maxwell, founder of The Thirst Project was also there to share his story. The goal of the concert was to help bring water to Swaziland, a landlocked country located in the southern tip of Africa, where water is scarce.

“The Thirst Project represents a great cause that many people take for granted. Most people at UIndy probably do not think about where they are going to find water to get them through the day and what lengths they will have to go to get to it, but that’s the reality for many children and families across the globe,” said junior and president of The Deliverance Project Emily Burgett. “The events that The Thirst Project put together are a great way to raise awareness about this need and to give people an opportunity to do something about it.”

Sophomore and president of the Interfaith Forum, Mark Wolfe, was passionate about holding an event for The Thirst Project.
Wolfe was first introduced to the world water crisis through the Advent Conspiracy, which is a church-led initiative that aims to have people spend less money on Christmas gifts and spend more on making a difference.

According to the Advent Conspiracy’s website, an average of $450 billion are spent on Christmas in America and it would only take about $10 billion to solve the water crisis.

“Seeing those types of statistics, I was really enthused when The Thirst Project benefit came here last year, because I really saw it as an opportunity for this campus to engage in solving a problem that actually could have a solution if we were able to be intentional enough about it,” Wolfe said. “And I think that this year we can make even further strides and build this as something that students are really engaged in.”

The night began with performer Joel Levi, who performed vocals and guitar while accompanied by bandmate Micah Gilliam, who created interesting sounds while playing mandolin.

After Joel Levi’s performance, Maxwell entered the stage to speak a little more in depth about how The Thirst Project came into fruition and show photos and videos of the water crisis and differences that can be made.

According to The Thirst Project’s website, thirstproject.org, one billion people on our planet don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water and proper sanitization. Diseases caused by contaminated water kill 4,500 children a day and 80 percent of all global diseases are water-borne and result from drinking contaminated water. The water crisis cripples countries all across the globe. Maxwell invited the audience to be a part of something bigger than themselves and bigger than the concert; he asked that they be involved in changing the world.

Donations were taken toward the end of Maxwell’s speech and Jon McLaughlin performed next. He held an engaged crowd.
The benefit concerts raised over $3,200.

“I hope that each person is able to walk away from this event and not just remember the artists or organizations that put this event together but the message that The Thirst Project shares,” Burgett said.