Saturday, June 2, 2007

Hilary helps kickoff clean water fundraiser

Hilary Swank lent her support to a good cause yesterday by helping launch an around-the-world relay to raise money and awareness for the issue of providing safe drinking water for the 1.1 billion people who lack it. About 20 runners will run a whopping 15,000 miles through 16 countries over the next 95 days in the event, organized by the Blue Planet Run Foundation. "What if it were your job to carry in a rusty metal pail all the water you and your family would use for the day?" Swank the crowd at the race kickoff on the lawn of the U.N. "What if the water made you sick? What if you had no choice? I know I will never take a glass of water for granted again." The goal of Blue Planet, together with the U.N. and partly funded by Dow Chemical Co., is to bring safe drinking water to 20 billion people by 2020.