Once again Cannon’s parking lot bustled with the efforts of employees and volunteers to provide Well Worth It campaign barbeque dinners to local supporters. The day was sunny and grill smoke billowed upwards as the sumptuous aroma of seasoned tri-tip and buttery grilled bread loaves wafted through the air. Paired with piping hot chorizo beans and fresh salad sides, everyone agreed the dinners were “well worth it.”

Cannon’s barbeque charity event is a response to the crisis for clean water solutions in developing countries. To aid this cause, the engineering firm teamed up with Charity: Water to raise funds for clean water projects, specifically the establishment of sustainable wells, in countries like Africa where people spend 40 billion hours every year walking to and from unsanitary water sources often rife with disease. As stated on Charity: Water’s organization website, unsafe water conditions have killed more people each year in these countries than any form of violence, including war. Children are especially susceptible to illness and death. Since the beginning of its partnership with Charity: Water in 2010, Cannon successfully raised over $45,000 to drill wells for villages in need.

To date, this year’s Well Worth It campaign turnout was the firm’s best yet, securing nearly $6,000 between donations and dinner purchases. At the cost of $5,000 per well, Cannon not only met its goal to fund one water project, but began building towards a second too. Contributions came from all over the SLO community, from individual supporters to the sponsorship of other local firms and companies. The Well Worth It campaign is just one more example of the generosity often found in those living on the Central Coast.

For more information about Charity: Water or to learn more about the growing water crisis abroad, visit: WellWorthIt.CannonCorp.us and charitywater.org.