Doc Hendley, founder of the nonprofit organization Wine To Water, will be the keynote speaker at Western Carolina University’s Conference for Undergraduate Regional Engagement Saturday, Sept. 12.
The event will be livestreamed at 10 a.m. and will include a Q&A session. Approximately 40 WCU students will attend in person with physical distancing, while nearly 500 students will be watching virtually.
Hendley launched Wine To Water in 2007 to combat the global water crisis. It has field programs in Nepal, the Dominican Republic and Tanzania. Hendley was named a top 10 CNN Hero in 2009.
Hendley will speak to WCU students about the global water crisis and how they can help.They will assemble water filters that will be used to help families get clean water in hard to reach areas, such as refugee camps and areas that undergo natural disasters. They also will learn how to be Wine To Water Ambassadors to strengthen their advocacy for clean water,
The event is sponsored by WCU’s Brinson Honors College in conjunction with this year’s Campus Theme Committee. The theme this year is water. Other sponsors include the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning and Alpha Lambda Delta honor society.