Walk 4 Water Union County’s third annual fundraiser is coming to the UC Farmers Market at Heritage Park on Saturday, June 7.

“We invite all Union County residents to come together to celebrate the blessed life we have here and to help spread the blessings to others suffering from extreme poverty and lack of access to clean, safe water in Uganda,” said Desiree Hensley, Walk 4 Water UC chair.

Hensley added, “All are welcome to come down and shop the market craftsmen and vendors, purchase outstanding award-winning barbecue from Swiney’s BBQ and snow cones from JG’s Snow Cones for dessert, while enjoying live entertainment featuring dance performances and bluegrass music. Free balloon twists and face painting will be provided to children of all ages participating in the event.”

Hensley also stated, “We are incredibly excited to have the support of Union County Mayor Jason Bailey, the City of Maynardville Mayor Ty Blakely, Cub Scouts Pack 401, Boy Scouts Troop 401, the TN 90 Bluegrass band, the E Kapuna Wahine E Kamealoha Polynesian Dancers and the Union County Line Dancers. It will be a fun day for all!”

Donna Riddle of the farmers market board stated, “The board thinks this collaboration is a wonderful opportunity to bring our community together for a great cause.”

Hensley agreed with, “This will be an incredible opportunity to bring more UC citizens out to support both the market and those suffering extreme clean, safe water poverty across the globe in Uganda.”

Participants will walk about one mile starting and ending at the farmers market, around Wilson Park and the high school, symbolizing the long distance Ugandan women and children travel to retrieve water, largely from unprotected sources including open ponds, livestock watering holes and polluted ditches.

On Saturday, June 7, the Walk check-in time will be 9 a.m., the program will begin at 10 and the walk at 11, followed by live bluegrass music with food and dessert vendors until 1 p.m.

Four churches are sponsoring the 2025 Walk 4 Water Union County: First Baptist Church of Maynardville, St. Teresa of Kolkata Catholic Church, Irwin’s Chapel United Methodist Church and Miller’s Chapel United Methodist Church. The event will raise funds for two deep water wells for remote villages in Uganda that do not have access to clean, safe water. A large team from City Hills church in Knoxville is also walking and fundraising. All funds raised will go toward the drilling of safe water boreholes for the villages of Sihubira and Panyandere in Eastern Uganda.

The wells will be drilled, installed and maintained by Water 4 Kids International, a division of Hope 4 Kids International, a 501-(c)3 working to provide clean water to children and families who are suffering through extreme poverty and disease. Each well has the potential to impact thousands of villagers for up to 50 years.

For more information, and to register or donate to Walk 4 Water Union County visit w4ki.org/w4wunioncounty

About Hope 4 Kids International
Hope 4 Kids International is a Christian, nonprofit organization, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Leading teams on exciting, life-changing short-term missions to projects around the world, Hope 4 Kids International is committed to serving impoverished children who are hurting physically, emotionally and spiritually. Teams bring relief to poverty-stricken villages by providing clean water, building medical and dental clinics and establishing emergency medical funds. Our strategies are designed to help villagers become self-sufficient through life-saving programs. We carry the message of God’s love and hope through these outreaches.