The ATA Walk for Water began when Austin Tennis Academy tennis player Breck Spencer visited Ethiopia in the Summer of 2010. On his trip, he watched lines of young women carrying big containers of water from a spring deep in a canyon in northern Ethiopia. It was the only source of water for miles. Inspired, Breck decided to try the walk himself to better understand the daily grind these women endure every day just to get dirty water. His trek was chronicled in the video below.

The ATA Walk for Water was established with three primary objectives. The first was to raise awareness among kids of the incredible burden their counterparts bear in rural Ethiopia in a daily fight for survival by having them experience hands on what it is like to carry 30lb jugs of water on their backs for 45 minutes or more. Second, the Walk was established to raise money to directly benefit young people in the affected areas by building water wells, schools and health clinics. 60 ATA kids will experience the back breaking journey by walking a two mile course through the hills of Austin Texas in 100 degree heat. Please help by pledging at least $50 to help these kids reach their goal.

This year’s Playing for Glimmer Campaign builds on the work the ATA players have done in the past three years. As part of last year's campaign, this group of students raised enough to build a school and one water well in the community of Wuhdet. This year’s campaign pledge completes the project by building a health clinic in Wuhdet, which will provide basic health services, including first aid, assistance for women in childbirth, and counseling and education to lessen the incidence of common health issues such as malaria and waterborne disease.

Thank you for your support!