Bartenders & servers worldwide unite in run-up to World Water Day to fight the water crisis.
gaz regan, the bartender previously known as Gary Regan, announces the third annual Just One Shift, which raises funds to fight the water crisis via Wine To Water, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Doc Hendley, an ex-bartender and CNN Hero.
Currently, 800 million people lack access to clean water, and 2.5 billion people lack access to sanitation. Water-related disease kills a child every 21 seconds. Wine To Water is a movement dedicated to providing clean water and sanitation to those in need around the world.
World Water Day is on Sunday, March 22nd, so the 2015 program will kick off on Monday, March 16th and run through that day. During this week, bartenders and servers worldwide are asked to donate all or part of their tips from just one shift.
New this year, the top two donors will have the opportunity to attend an all-expenses-paid Wine to Water service trip to the Dominican Republic on dates of their choosing. These individuals will gain a unique cultural experience while providing clean water to those who need it.
A similar trip will run from August 22-29, 2015, open exclusively to bartenders and servers who participated in Just One Shift 2015. Full information is here.
In a past year, $41,872.67 was raised, which provided clean water to 40,000 people for an entire year. Just One Shift bartenders and servers donated an average of $244.87 each to achieve that figure. Texas Roadhouse was a particularly proud supporter and in 2014 raised more than $19,000 in two weeks at their North Carolina restaurants. “We encourage every restaurant in the country to participate,” urges Kirsten Sands, Regional Marketing Director for Texas Roadhouse. “Our guests and staffs were more than supportive of this initiative, and our North Carolina locations have raised the bar and committed to raise $30,000 more in 2015 starting in the month of March.”
To sign up, please visit Just One Shift; the site maintains a list of participating bars and restaurants sorted by state, as well as a calendar of shifts. At the end of the given shift, the bartender or server makes his or her donation via the honor system, online.
gaz, who has a network of more than 20,000 social media followers, says, “Bartenders and servers have been changing the world via the Just One Shift/Wine to Water campaign for the past few years; they have helped save the lives of thousands of people they’ll never meet. I know for sure that these bartenders and servers will continue to change the world, and hopefully they will encourage their friends in the industry to join them.”
