An Amazing Young Lady Who Made A Difference

Two months after Rachel Beckwith’s ninth birthday, the fund-raising campaign of the Bellevue girl who died in a traffic accident last month has raised more than $1 million to bring clean water to African villages.

Rachel had expressed a wish to raise $300 for safe drinking water by her ninth birthday.

Since the public learned of the girl’s wish, there has been an outpouring of donations to charity: water, a nonprofit organization that brings clean drinking water to people in developing countries.

As of Friday, Rachel’s campaign on charitywater.org had raised $1,006,313 from more than 26,000 donations.

“We’re thrilled with the response,” said Sarah Cohen, communications manager for charity: water. “It’s the largest fundraising campaign in our history by far.”

To date, charity: water has raised more than $40 million since it opened five years ago.

In May, Rachel had her mother help her create a Web page saying that in lieu of birthday gifts, she wanted to raise $300 for safe drinking water in Africa. By her birthday in June, $220 had been raised.

On July 20, Rachel was hurt in a crash on Interstate 90 in Bellevue, and she died three days later. When news stories of Rachel’s death described her charitable effort, the donations skyrocketed.

Children’s campaigns rarely surpass six figures, said Michael Nilsen, spokesman for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, a group representing 30,000 fundraisers.

“It’s all about trying to create a connection,” he said. “This is a very impressive amount.”

According to the charity, every $20 donated provides one person with clean drinking water. Rachel’s campaign said that more than 50,000 people will be helped by the $1 million donation.

“I am in awe of the overwhelming love to take my daughter’s dream and make it a reality,” Rachel’s mother, Samantha Paul, wrote on Rachel’s Web page. “In the face of unexplainable pain you have provided undeniable hope.”

*Passing along this article from http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/08/13/1781050/childs-clean-water-effort-goes.html