World’s need for clean water gets Hollywood backing

Hilary Swank, a two-time academy award winning actress, lent her star profile to a United Nations event promoting safe water infrastructure.
The actress was at the UN headquarters ceremony on June 4 to mark the launch of the Blue Planet Run, the first ever around the world relay race to raise funds and spread awareness about the need for safe drinking water and sanitation. We’re gathered here to acknowledge that for over one billion people on this planet, safe drinking water is simply not available,” said the Hollywood actress. She added, “I know I’ll never take a glass of water for granted again.”
The race is called the Blue Planet Run, and involves a team of 20 runners who will sprint in 10 mile individual relay segments for 95 days. The route covers the U.S. and Canada, several countries in Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, China and Japan. Each runner sprints 10 miles a day and passes batons at over 1,500 exchange points, ending back in New York on September 4.
The Blue Planet Run Foundation has already funded 135 projects in 13 countries, providing drinking water for 100,000 people. Plans are for the relay to be held biannually, alternating between the northern and southern hemispheres.