photo provided

photo provided

It is a new event for Daniel Island but the timing could not be better.

With the tragic Haiti disaster on everyone's minds, Daniel Island resident Angela Black Drake is hoping that people will come to the first Sip of Daniel Island to benefit Water Missions International (WMI), a Christian-based organization that provides clean drinking water to people in developing countries and disaster areas.

In conjunction with The Rotary Club of Daniel Island and the Charleston Rotary Lunch Club, nine Daniel Island restaurants will be providing drink and/or appetizer specials. A $20 ticket will entitle the ticket-holder to enjoy the specials in each restaurant from 5-8 p.m., Wednesday, March 3.

The proceeds from the event will benefit two WMI projects: support for the Rotary Club's clean water project in Iquitos, Peru and for disaster relief work in Haiti.

The Daniel Island Club gives money from their annual duck race to 10 different charities. With WMI being proactive with the Haiti relief, the club wanted to help. It just so happened that fellow Rotarian Brad Reed was knowledgeable in what could be done. Reed is the current president and chief operating officer of WMI and has traveled to areas like Peru to install safe drinking systems. According to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 1.8 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. This amounts to around 5000 deaths a day, one every 20 seconds.

Reed said that George Greene III, founder of WMI, wanted to get his club involved with the event.

"As we had completed a couple of projects in Peru, we crafted a project scope to the district and for the Rotary Foundation's approval," he said.

It took a year and a half to implement. Now six Daniel Island rotarians, including Reed, as well as four from the Charleston Rotary Lunch Club, will be traveling to Iquitos, Peru April 10-19 for the installation of six new water treatment systems.

"Our safe water projects on average can serve over a decade of use for under $10 a person. We are working with systems installed in 2001 that are still in operation. With the right maintenance, they can last a long time," Reed explained. "It is easy in times of disaster to focus on what needs to be done. But not having safe water is a hidden disaster in developing countries."

Participating restaurants are:

Queen Anne's Revenge, Laura Alberts Tasteful Options, Dragon Palace, Wasabi, Vespa, Two Rivers, et cetera, Daniel Island Grille, Brewer's Bistro.

Tickets are $20 and are available at any participating restaurant, at the Daniel Island Property Owners Office and from any Rotary Club of Daniel Island member. Tickets will be limited to 500.

For additional information contact Angela Black Drake, Sip Chair, at angelablack3504@aol.com or (843) 991-0337.

(Helen Ravenel can be reached at helen@moultrienews.com. See more at www.moultrienews.com.)