Earlier this week I attended the 7th annual Thirst Gala at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The Thirst Gala is a fundraiser as well as a celebration. Throughout the night various guests are recognized for their contributions. If you have not heard of the Thirst Project before I would love to share some information with you. As you may know not everyone around the world has access to clean water. In poor countries people have to walk for hours to find water. Unfortunately, the dirty water they find often leads to water borne diseases. The goal of the Thirst Project is to provide clean water to people around the world. The lives of thousands of people can be extended & improved with clean water.
I had no idea what this event would be like. It was an evening filled with education about clean water and the impact it has on people around the world. In addition to education it was also filled with inspiration. The creator of the Thirst Project started this when he was 19 and is now only 28 years old. His passion for helping improve and extend the lives of others is incredible. Never let anyone tell you that you are too young to make a difference.
While vips are invited to attend the Thirst Gala anyone can purchase a dinner ticket or a gallery seat. If you don’t have extra money to spend you can volunteer to work the event. I lucked out when a friend sent me a link to sign up to attend for free. We filled in the seats that outlined the dinner tables. When my friend and I arrived at the Beverly Hilton the vip guests were walking the red carpet. I was thrilled to see that my favorite member of N’SYNC was co hosting the gala. Lance Bass and Kirsten Vangsness kept us entertained throughout the evening.
Catherine Hardwicke, the director of Twilight, was honored with the Board of Governors award. In 2015 Catherine’s film Miss You Already has a character who works at the Thirst Project. The CEO made an appearance in the film where he spoke about the water crisis. Kristen Stewart presented the award to Catherine. It was mentioned that this is an award that is not given out every year.
Disney channel stars Karan Brar and Cameron Boyce presented the Pioneering Spirt Award to actor Ansel Elgort. Ansel was unable to attend but recorded a thank you video. The Power of Youth award was presented by Youtube Stars Connor Franta and Grace Helbig. Chester See and Gabriel Conte presented Vizio with the Vision Award. Michael Welch and Jillian Rose Reed presented the Volunteer Award. There were several great moments throughout the night. Tyson Ritter from the All American Rejects performed which was a moving moment.
Towards the end of the gala there was a fundraiser. Money was raised to build wells in countries like Kenya. It was exciting to see people willing to give their money for a great cause. Every well that they needed money to build was fully funded by the end of the night. While the Thirst Project can benefit from the help of everyone they do focus on getting young people involved. If you are in high school or college you can start a club at your school to raise money and awareness.
Following the gala we were invited to the after party. I was so happy to get to meet Lance Bass. My friends and I spent the rest of the night dancing and talking with a lot of great people. I am so thankful and blessed to live in the USA where I have access to clean water 24/7. It is so sad to think that other people walk up to eight hours a day for dirty water.
Want information on how you can get involved with the Thirst Project?
Click here: https://www.thirstproject.org
