Running for Water 2026

Join us for a Family Walk/Run at 10:00 AM on September 12, 2026 at the Frame Park Shelter area. Included is a TAI CHI warm up at the C.F Schuetze Recreation Center which is a brief walk along the Fox River Trail from Frame Park.

Today, approximately one in three Navajo families still lacks access to clean running water, forcing many to travel long distances to haul water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and everyday living. Running for Water is a local fundraiser organized by the Community of the Living Spirit and Plowshare.

Our 4th annual Running for Water fundraiser was created to help change that reality. Through our partnership with the DigDeep Right to Water Project, we raise funds and awareness to support efforts that bring clean, reliable water to homes across the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Water Project is part of the larger human rights nonprofit Dig Deep Right to Water Project, which serves some of the 2.2 million+ people in the U.S. without running water and sinks, bathtubs, and toilets that the rest of us take for granted. We believe every human being has a right to clean, running water.

One of the reasons we are proud to support DigDeep is their commitment to transparency. Every cent raised through Running for Water goes directly to DigDeep, and every cent donated to Dig Deep goes directly to the Navajo Right to Water Project. Running for Water's operating expenses are covered by our committee memters and DigDeep's operating expenses are covered separately through its Water Council, a dedicated group of supporters who ensure that project donations fund the work they are intended to support.

But Running for Water is more than a fundraiser. It is a gathering of community, compassion, and hope.

Before the walk/run begins, participants come together for gentle Tai Chi warm-ups, centering body, mind, and spirit. The slow, intentional movements remind us that every journey begins with a single step and that every step we take can help carry water, dignity, and opportunity to our neighbors.

Families, friends, runners, walkers, and supporters then set out on the course, united by a common purpose: ensuring that access to clean water is recognized as a basic human right.

At the conclusion of the event, we gather in a community drum circle. The steady rhythm of the drums echoes our shared commitment and gratitude. It is a joyful celebration of what can happen when people come together in solidarity and care for one another.

Every registration, donation, and step taken helps bring us closer to a future where no family must wonder where their next gallon of water will come from.

Together, we run. Together, we walk. Together, we drum. Together, we help bring clean water to those in need on the Navajo Nation.