Here's your uplifting story of the day.
Signed jerseys from Nick Foligno, Cam Atkinson, and Sonny Milano were auctioned off to create funds for a new water system that will give 1,200 Kenyan students access to clean drinking water. Four years of preventative maintenance for the system were also included with the funds raised.
The system, which can be seen above, was installed at the Juja Road Primary School.
The fundraising and implementation were made possible through a partnership with Underdogs United. Their mission statement is below.
Underdogs United is a mission-driven company that helps athletes exchange their jerseys for impact and designs sportswear with clean water solutions stitched in. Through our partnership with Impact Water, we fund clean water initiatives for schools in rural Kenya, in the same communities where all of our design and stitching is done too. We employ Kenyan artisans at fair wages and make long-term commitments to the communities where we work.
Many other athletes besides these Blue Jackets have contributed to Underdogs United's cause, including athletes from the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB as well as many foreign leagues.
So, how does this work? Great question. Athletes auction their autographed jerseys, which fund clean water initiatives in Kenya. Then, local Kenyan tailors handcraft a custom jersey for the player with Kenyan influences.
More information on Underdogs United can be found here. You can scroll down to see photos of the Juja Road primary school, as well as the many other photos and accounts of water purification systems made possible by Underdogs United and professional athletes.
