Kids have thirst for helping others

Two Fountain Valley kids are trying to raise money, but it’s not for candy, toys or video games. It’s actually not even for them.

Isaak, 6, and his 4-year-old sister, Autumn Askenaze, are trying to raise money to bring clean water to students in India. The two, with the help of their parents, are putting on a walk/run fundraiser Saturday. “Walk for Water” will raise money for Thirst Relief International to build a well, “because then they can have clean drinking water,” Isaak said.

“One billion people died because they don’t have clean drinking water,” Isaak said. “I feel like that has to stop immediately.”

The well will serve about 700 students at secondary school in Southern India, said the duo’s dad, Jason Askenaze. The two have already raised $1,200 for the well, but need an additional $1,000.

Isaak and Autumn have passed out fliers to their preschool and kindergarten classmates and sold lemons from a tree in their backyard for a quarter, and even Isaak’s Tooth Fairy money has made its way into the fund.

The idea for the well came after the kids learned about the earthquake in Haiti at church, Isaak said. The disaster in Haiti lead to a family discussion on how to help people across the world. His mom, Karen Askenaze, had run in a marathon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society about a year ago, giving Isaak the inspiration.

“My brain just thought it up,” he said.

Karen Askenaze said they found out Thirst Relief was looking to build a well at the school, and the idea appealed to Isaak and Autumn, who had done other projects raising money for water filters for people in Third World countries.

Doing something for someone else a world away is nothing new to the family of four. In Isaak’s room hangs a map of the world with three pins — two red and one blue. The blue, in Southern India, marks the spot where the well will be. The red pins are places the family is already assisting. Next to the map are pictures of children and teens in Africa that the family sponsors and hand-drawn pictures that the kids in Africa and Isaak exchange.

The Askenazes said that is one thing they wanted to teach their children — compassion for their neighbors around the world.

“We want them to grow up to love other people,” Karen Askenaze said.

The family has been training together at a park by picking out trees in the distance and running there and back. Isaak said he plans to run about three miles and then changed to two, but Autumn is setting her goals high. The freckled 4-year-old said she plans to do eight miles.

“I hope that the walk goes good and raises a lot of money for the poor,” Isaak said. “And hopefully a little extra for another country.”

How To Help

Walk: 9 a.m. Saturday at Newland Park at 19702 Topeka Lane

Donate: Bring donations or sponsorships to the walk or go to www.thirstrelief.org and click “India” and then make the donation on behalf of “Walk for Water.”