TEXARKANA, Texas -- Saturday morning's fog did nothing to hide the jogging pathways as Fellowship Bible Church members hit the pavement in an effort to bring fresh water to developing countries.
Some 120 sprinters braved the cool morning air to pay entry fees and run 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) in the church's fifth annual 6K4WATER run/walk fundraiser. The race raises money for Watermission.org, which digs wells in nations that need fresh water sources.
Fellowship Bible Church pastor Richard Hornock said the fundraiser is inspired by a similar effort at a Dallas church.
"I was impressed by this, so we decided to try it ourselves,"he said. "There are still many diseases that can come from drinking bad water."
Hornock said the effort also provides a pathway to witness to other people about Jesus.
"It's called pre-evangelism," Hornock said. "It helps people witness about Christ by first taking care of other peoples' basic, urgent needs in life. And from there, we let them know about how God loves and cares for them."
In the past five years, Fellowship Bible has raised between $30,000 and $35,000 through the run/walk, Hornock said. The money goes directly to the construction and distribution of water water purification systems.
The 6K4WATER fundraiser takes its name from the fact that women in developing countries are known to walk an average of 6 kilometers a day to collect safe drinking water for their households, Hornock said.