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What would you do to ensure that people have a clean glass of water to drink?

Most of us in the United States probably don’t give a lot of thought to our access to clean water. But according to nonprofit organization Water Mission, 35% of the world’s population lives without proper sanitation, which includes lack of access to clean drinking water.

That statistic isn’t acceptable to Scotty Parker. In the summer of 2017, 12-year-old Scotty rode his bike across the United States to raise money for safe water. The ride was 3,270 miles, took just over 8 weeks, and raised over $500,000. This is just the latest accomplishment for the middle-schooler, who became aware of the global water crisis nearly five years ago.

Scotty says, “When I was 7 years old I learned that kids were dying because they did not have clean water like I did—while I was just sitting here not doing anything about it. That was like a reality slap into my face. And that really hurt my heart.” (You can read more about Scotty’s journey via Water Mission’s Scotty Rides page.)

Scotty, whom Water Mission calls an “All Star”, says, “I want people to learn that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can change the world for better.  Philippians 4:13 says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  You can do anything with the power of Christ.’”

I take great inspiration from Scotty’s message. If we want our kids to care for others, we need to model the way. Stories like Scotty’s help inspire us to find ways to involve our kids in caregiving.  Perhaps Scotty’s story can help spark an interest for you—or the kids in your life. You don’t have to ride a bike 3,000 miles to care well; all it takes is looking around, seeing a need and taking action to make a difference.

To learn more about how you can participate go to Water Mission or watch Scotty’s Ride below.