On May 17th, James Leitner set off on his 3200+ mile Walk Across America to raise awareness and money for the global water crisis.

PRINCETON, NJ, UNITED STATES, May 19, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On Wednesday, May 17, 2017, James Leitner from Scotch Plains, NJ began the first leg of his 3215 mile journey from the WorldWater & Solar Technologies headquarters in Princeton. After completing 12 marathons in 12 months with 45 pounds of water on his head, Leitner plans to walk 25 miles (practically a marathon) each day for the next 4 months with 90 pounds of water in tow to symbolize the millions of women and children that have to walk carrying large cans of water for several miles on a daily basis. Leitner is also looking to raise at least $15,000 for the Philadelphia Serengeti Alliance, a non-profit whose mission is to build wells in various regions of Tanzania where clean water is extremely scarce.

Leitner will walk across 12 US states and a part of Canada along his journey. Cities he plans to visit include Buffalo, Chicago, Denver, Des Moines, Denver, Salt Lake City as well as Flint, MI where clean water is also known to be problematic.

At a launch ceremony hosted by Princeton-based solar technology company, WorldWater & Solar Technologies, Leitner’s family, friends, public officials and other supporters gathered from around the region to give their well wishes before his long odyssey from Princeton to San Francisco. Because WorldWater has been building patented solar-powered units to provide clean water to villages throughout Africa, including Tanzania, as well as in developing, war-torn and natural disaster-ridden countries around the world for over 30 years, Leitner found it fitting to have his send-off at their location.

At the launch event, WorldWater Founder and CEO Quentin Kelly spoke about meeting Leitner and how impressed he was with his monumental endeavor. Leitner filled his two big blue jerrycans with water purified by WorldWater’s patented Mobile MaxClear before his big trip. He currently consumes 5-10 gallons each day so far and plans to replenish the water throughout his trip. The water will serve as Leitner’s drinking source as well as for any cooking and hygiene.

Margareth Awiti, the President and Founder of the Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance, and Stephen Dunne, Vice President of PSA, said a few words at Leitner’s sendoff to praise his dedication to helping resolve the global water crisis. Lange Schermerhorn, former Ambassador to Djibouti, spoke about her experiences witnessing the desperate need for clean water in Africa. Mickey Ingles, the Chief Engineer for WorldWater, gave a brief description of the Mobile MaxClear and its solar-powered water purification technology before he filled up the jerrycans for Leitner. Finally, James Leitner himself gave a heartfelt speech expressing gratitude for all of his friends and family members who joined him that morning to wish him well on his journey.

Immediately after saying his thanks and goodbyes, Leitner strapped on his big backpack of food and bare essentials and attached the small cart carrying the water-filled jerrycans to his waist, and he was off. The small crowd waved goodbye as he walked across the small stone bridge and grassy knoll of the WorldWater grounds onto the road ahead.

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For more info:
http://missioncleanwater.com
https://www.psa-tz.org
http://worldwatersolar.com

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Beatrice Kimmel / beatrice[at]hypr.media / 212.777.6727 ext. 200

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