Local educator, restaurateur raise cash for clean water

A Lee County educator and restaurateur are selling water this week to help raise money and awareness of the 900 million children worldwide who are dying for lack of access to the clean, bacteria-free liquid.

Bill Stejskal, dean of students at Bishop Verot High School, sold bottles of water to his students on Tuesday, continuing the ripple effect of a nationwide campaign spearheaded by the nonprofit children's organization UNICEF.

Dubbed The Tap Project, it started as a pro-bono advertising campaign to bring clean water to children

in impoverished parts of New York City in 2006, during World Water Week, that runs through March 28. After UNICEF picked it up, New York restaurants gave customers the option of donating $1 for the glass of tap water that comes with their meal.

In the last two years, the campaign spread across the United States, garnering the support of advertising agencies, celebrity chefs and about 2,300 of restaurants in 44 states. The money goes to aid children in countries Laos, Iraq or Nicaragua.

"This is going to countries that virtually have no running water, that have no sanitized water to drink," said Mr. Stejskal. "We have about 720 students, so if we can raise $1,000, that would be a nice statement."

When Mr. Stejskal contacted Lee County restaurants about getting involved, he was mostly turned down. But Rob DeGennaro, owner of Ichabod's Wicked Food & Drink on Cleveland Avenue, agreed to take on the project. This Friday and Saturday at lunch and dinner, he'll give customers the option of adding $1 to the price of their meal when they order tap or bottled water.

"This is strictly voluntary," he said. "There will be literature on the tables when people come in."

Mr. DeGennaro and Mr. Stejskal hope their efforts will create a ripple effect for the Tap Project throughout Southwest Florida. Restaraunts can sign up or learn more at www.tapproject.org.

"We pioneered this project in the area with the hope that other restaurants would come on board," Mr. DeGennaro said. "If we can raise a couple thousand dollars, then we can go to another restaurant and say look at what happened here. Then maybe, on a certain Saturday, we can try this across Lee County and then Lee County says look what we did on this so and so day and then they can go to Collier County."

The donation is also aimed at getting people to think about that glass of tap water or bottled water they're enjoying. Fort Myers gets about 54 inches of rain every year, but not everyone is so lucky. Cairo, Egypt only gets about an inch a year.

"We take for granted having tap water at our disposal 24/7," Mr. Stejskal said. "It's things like that we don't even think twice about." The ripple effect

Although the Tap Project hasn't been seen in Southwest Florida until now, leading ad agencies around the country are involved in promoting it, including New York-based Droga5.

The company's creative chairman, David Droga, developed the Tap Project in 2006 for Esquire magazine, after they asked him to prove why he deserved their title as one of the best and brightest designers. They ended up giving Mr. Droga a two-page spread that December; and UNICEF, as well as about 200 New York City restaurants, picked up the campaign.

Since then, it's become a trendy cause that's garnered the support of celebrity chefs like Tom Colicchio, star of Bravo TV's "Top Chef"; and Marcus Samuelsson, owner of Aquavit and the youngest chef ever to receive a three star review from The New York Times. Joel Madden, lead vocalist of the band "Good Charlotte" is this year's Tap Project spokesperson. Across the country, support ranges from world-famous destinations like Le Cirque in New York to places like Café Mimosa in San Clemente, Calif.

"We support (the Tap Project) because we care," said Rose Davis, a manager at d'Bronx Deli and Pizzeria in Overland Park, Kan.

Corporate sponsors now include American Express and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and Web sites like Zagat.com will advertise the project with online banners.

UNICEF has raised about $1 million in the last two years with the Tap Project. Each $1 donation is enough to supply about 40 liters of safe drinking water, a 40-day supply for one child.

"I'd love to see us be the impetus behind this project here in Southwest Florida," Mr. DeGennaro said.