Editor's Letter: A Whole Herd of Inspiration

May 14, 2015
When people come together with a common goal, some truly amazing things can happen. Take, for example, the Water Buffalos, a group of motorcyclists who, 10 years ago, traveled from Seattle to the AWWA conference in San Francisco and in the process raise $20,000 for Water For People. The "herd" is now gearing up for its tenth ride. Over the past decade, the Water Buffaloes have multiplied to 80 riders and have raised nearly $700,000 to help bring reliable access to clean water and sanitation to underdeveloped communities around the world.

By Angela Godwin

When people come together with a common goal, some truly amazing things can happen. Take, for example, a couple of water guys who, ten years ago, had the crazy idea to ride their motorcycles from Seattle to the AWWA conference in San Francisco. After they completed their trek, Ken Howe and Bill Persich thought perhaps others might like to join them the following year -- and maybe the ride could serve a greater purpose.

They called their group the Water Buffalos, and that first charity ride to San Antonio raised $20,000 for Water For People. "We had 12 riders at that point," Howe recalled. "And I think Water For People and AWWA thought we'd go away after the first year," he laughed. But fortunately -- for everyone -- that was not the case.

The Water Buffalos are now preparing for their tenth ride. Over the past decade, the "herd" has multiplied to nearly 80 riders, and has raised almost $700,000 for Water For People to help bring reliable access to clean water and sanitation to underdeveloped communities around the world.

At the 2014 ACE event in Boston, the Water Buffalos presented a check for more than $62,000 to the charity. This year, the group expects to far exceed that number. "Our goal this year is to be the first committee to raise over $100,000 in a single event," Howe said.

For Howe and his fellow riders, the annual journey is not just about making a donation to a charity. It's much more personal. "We've all spent long careers in this business," he said. "We all provide water or wastewater services to our local communities, but in the big scheme of things, the people in this industry are wonderful and they really care about what's going on."

Every penny raised by the Water Buffalos goes to Water For People. "Nobody gets their gas paid for, and everybody takes vacation time to do this," said Howe. "I bet every rider most likely donates at least two weeks of their own time and a couple thousand dollars to make the trip -- just to make it happen. So it's pretty cool."

This year marks the Water Buffalos' 10th anniversary and Howe said about 30 members from across the U.S. and Canada will be making the trip to Anaheim -- including the 10 original riders who made that inaugural trek to San Antonio ten years ago.

To learn more about this fantastic group and how you can show your support -- or even join -- please visit RideWithPurpose.org.

Angela Godwin
Chief Editor, WaterWorld

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