Water For People Awarded 2008 Water Award by Commissioner Frank Avila and Wife

July 13, 2009
By Eileen Lambert

(Denver-Colo) - July 13, 2009 - Commissioner Frank Avila and his wife Sherry presented Water For People the 2008 Excellence for Water Environment Award at the Chicago Access Network Television Studio in June of this year.

The presentation will air on Chicago Comcast Cable Channel 19, Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. Commissioner Avila’s show, "Commissioner Frank Avila Speaks," focuses on the water supply, water quality, waterways, and wastewater treatment.

After the taping, Sherry Avila thanked Water For People. "It was our deepest pleasure and privilege to present Nina Miller, a representative from Water For People, with the Excellence in Protecting our Water Environment Award. We felt that Nina and host Commissioner Frank Avila of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago produced an exceptional show detailing how Water For People helps those in developing countries gain access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. We hope it will benefit all who see it."

Sherry Avila recently returned from a volunteer medical and construction mission trip to the Philippines where she witnessed first-hand animal and human waste covering the shore of an island. "The people of this island drink rainwater with worms or parasites in it. The experience further emphasized to me the importance of the work supported by organizations such as Water For People," said Sherry Avila.

About Water for People
Founded in 1991, Water For People is a nonprofit international development organization that supports safe drinking water and sanitation projects in developing countries. Water For People partners with communities, local governments, and other nongovernmental organizations to help people improve their quality of life by supporting the development of locally sustainable drinking water resources, improved sanitation facilities, and hygiene education programs. Water For People supports communities with professional development advice, financial support and volunteer technical services. Typical technologies employed include protected spring-fed community water systems, gravity-fed systems, wells with hand pumps, latrine construction, operator training and hygiene education. Water For People is currently working in Latin America, Africa and Asia. In 2008, Water For People supported the provision of safe and sustainable drinking water resources benefiting 91,722 people in the developing world, sanitation facilities benefiting 92,983, and hygiene education benefiting 153,843 people. More information is available at www.waterforpeople.org.