Many people around the world live without the basic necessities of life: food, clean water and shelter. Riders Aid is a program focused on getting people from within the snowriding community involved in raising awareness and funding for these basic needs in impoverished countries.

Mohandas Ghandi said Òthe difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the worldÕs problemsÓ. To our societyÕs standards, those in the snowriding community often donÕt live on very much. However, by world standards we are among the privelaged few who can afford food, rent, season passes, new equipment and nightly entertainment. What little we can give (ie. what we are capable of doing), when multiplied can make a significant difference to a family a world away.

The first project Riders Aid is focusing on is the need for clean drinking water in some of the developing countries in Africa. On February 23rd, riders from the communities of Vancouver, Kelowna, Invermere, Fernie, Golden, Banff, Calgary, Edmonton and Waterloo will be out educating the public and raising funds for the ÒTurn On The TapÓ program through Samaritans Purse. 100% of the proceeds raised that day will go towards the installation of BioSand Water Filters in the African countries of Kenya, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Libya and Malawi. The BioSand Water Filters are an ingenious invention of Dr. David Manz from Calgary. It is a simple filter made from local materials that requires little maintenance and no electricity or fuel to run. The filter removes water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, and amoebi dysentry. The sand filters 1 litre of water per minute, enough to provide an entire family with sufficient water for their daily drinking, cooking, cleaning, and hygiene needs. For $100 we can provide a water filter for an African household of 8-10 people.

We hope that you will join with us, give a few dollars and collectively help those in need!

For more information, Please check www.riders-aid.com for a list of Feb. 23rd locations.