Opinion: D12 event takes on a first-time charity partner

Upon waking each morning, one of the first things I do is head to the kitchen for a drink of water. The cool, crisp liquid is refreshing after a long night in an old house. I’m lucky enough to have the luxury of less than a minute walk from my bed, but not everyone in the world is as fortunate.

Imagine walking an hour, usually shoeless, and standing in line for multiple hours just to catch a slow trickle of water as it drips from a rock spring, then trudging the more than 40-pound jug an hour home. Now imagine the water you worked so hard for is unknowingly infested with leech larvae and other parasites.

That is the reality for young girls in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

When Springfield-native Julie Neal shared the story of the Chuko Weyama village with the Springfield Business Journal staff, we knew we wanted to help.

“The girls can’t go to school because it is their job to bring home the water,” she said. “This village has blessed me with two loving boys. They gave me the greatest gift and now it’s time for me to give back.”

Neal started Dig Deep to raise the $228,000 needed to drill a deep-bore well in the village. To date, she has raised $191,537 for the cause, but needed help with the remaining $36,000.

That’s where this year’s Dynamic Dozen came in.

Charity partners are already a staple of SBJ’s individual award events – a natural match, pairing individuals who already contribute so much of their time with a local charity in need. But individuals aren’t the only ones who give back each day across the Ozarks. Local companies are making the pledge to help out too. So when Dig Deep approached SBJ about helping, this year’s D12 event seemed like a natural match.

The 12 companies on this year’s list and six individual honorees are leaders among the pack. Posting year-over-year revenue gains and high three-year growth percentages, this year’s dozen know how to buckle down and work hard – just like the young ladies in Ethiopia.

The well would serve the village of about 10,000 people, and Neal is determined to do whatever it takes to raise the additional funds – including reaching out to her movie-star brother Brad Pitt.

“If I asked Brad to help, he would just write me a check, but I wanted to do this on my own,” she said. “I’m so close now and just needed a little push over the edge.”

Pitt, and fiancee Angelina Jolie, donated items – including a baseball signed by Pitt and Money Ball inspiration Billy Beane and a Salvatore Ferragamo purse signed by Jolie – which were auctioned off during the May 16 event. Hopefully, one of our award-winning D12 companies was lucky enough to take home a piece of Hollywood history and help a good cause in the process.

Congratulations to all the 2013 Dynamic Dozen award-winning companies and individual honorees. We toast to your success and the continued work of Neal and the Dig Deep supporters who will one day make it just a little bit easier for everyone in Ethiopia to raise their glasses and smile as well.[[In-content Ad]]