DAMIANI DONATION PRESENTED BY SHARON STONE SUPPPORTS DROP IN THE BUCKET’S 2011 INITIATIVES TO HELP BUILD WELLS IN AFRICA
Los Angeles – (Dec. 15, 2010) At a recent press conference in Beverly Hills, Sharon Stone and Silvia Damiani, of the famed Italian jewelers, presented a check in the amount of $ 200,000 to Mr. John Travis, President of Drop in the Bucket, (www.dropinthebucket.org), a non-profit organization responsible for building wells and sanitation systems in Sub-Saharan, Africa. The contribution will underwrite the construction of new water wells in Africa providing clean water to tens of thousands of people in the next year.
“We were elated to receive this generous donation from Damiani Jewelers,” said John Travis. “Their contribution will allow us to not only reach our year-end goal of creating 100 new wells and continue to build water systems, but surpass it in 2011.”
Sharon Stone also presented the new Damiani “Maji” Collection at the press conference that she designed and includes a collection of rings, pendants, earrings and tennis bracelets, in which the materials interact with geometrical shapes to produce unusual and innovative creations. She called the collection, ‘Maji’, which means “water” in Swahili, due to the conditions she witnessed on a recent trip to the region.
Of all the renewable water available in Africa, only four percent is used because most Africans lack the wells, canals, pumps and reservoirs needed for clean water. Every day 10,000 children under the age of five die of water related illnesses and these new wells will help to alleviate these issues.
Using the simple formula: the best minds = the best solutions, Drop in the Bucket brings together engineers, innovators and economists from around the to develop superior strategies for tackling the water crisis. In most cases the villagers literally have water right under their feet, but have no means to access it. Drop In The Bucket installs everything from wells and rainwater harvesting structures to an advanced sanitation system that is the most environmentally responsible, permanent septic system available in rural Sub-Saharan, Africa.
One of the main objectives was to do more than build the wells and sanitation systems needed to provide clean water to the selected areas, but to create the local infrastructure necessary to maintain the equipment and ensure the local community would be able to continue using it forever.
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About Damiani Jewelers
Master craftsmen since 1924, the Damiani family has a long legacy of creating dreams. Celebrating the art of the jeweler has earned Damiani an unprecedented 18 Diamonds International Awards. Casa Damiani brings the highest artisanal traditions and elegance to the Made-in-Italy style. They create innovative designer jewelry for women and men, specialty bridal and exquisite timepieces. Casa Damiani’s commitment to the art of Italian luxury makes Damiani one of the most recognized and sought after brands in the world. 1-866-DAMIANI, www.damiani.com
About Drop in the Bucket
Formed in 2006 by a handful of Los Angeles-based entertainment industry professionals after learning about the deadly water crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, Drop in the Bucket is a 501(c)(3) organization that uses innovative thinking and a hands-on approach to create permanent solutions to the World Water Crisis. One of its main focuses is expanding beyond building the wells and sanitation systems needed to provide clean water, into creating the local infrastructure needed to maintain the equipment and ensure it continues to work forever. Drop in the Bucket also purchases materials from within the community where the project is based to support the local economy and it hand picks local contractors to work with on the projects. In the past four years, thanks to detailed planning, increased financial support, and a laser-focus on the mission, Drop in the Bucket has dramatically improved the lives of thousands of people in Tanzania, Mozambique, Chad, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan by providing 80 water wells and many sanitation systems to targeted large rural schools and orphanages that have provided both water and economic stimulation for the surrounding local communities, all while over 87% of funds raised went directly to the program costs. For more information visit dropinthebucket.org, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/dropinthebucket or Twitter at http://twitter.com/dropinthebucket.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Crys Spelman / 310.291.827 / Crys@polarispublicity.com
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