Play1Give10

JANUARY 2009 - MARCH 2009

Jennifer Figge, a 56-year-old U.S. endurance swimmer, will attempt to be the first woman to swim across the Atlantic Ocean, starting off the coast of Africa in January 2009 and finishing two months later in Barbados. Jennifer will swim six to eight hours daily in a "Shark Cage" towed behind a 50-foot catamaran. Volvic will donate $.40 for every mile Jennifer swims during this adventure to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to benefit the "Drink 1, Give 10" program.

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2008

Tennis players Camille Pin, Arnaud Clément and Sébastien de Chaunac played at the U.S. Open. For each point won by each of these players at the 2008 U.S. Open, Volvic will donate $.40 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF – enough to provide at least 100 liters of clean, safe water to children in western Ethiopia per point.

OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 2008

Because of their impressive talent in distance running, Kassahun Kasibo, Girma Tola, Abiyot Endale, Aziza Aliyu, Etaferahu Tarekegn and 15 other runners from Ethiopia were recruited to come to the U.S. to run for the Westchester Track Club. In training and through various races between October and December, these athletes will collectively run a distance equaling the circumference of the world. For each mile they run in races through the Westchester Track Club from October 12th to December 31st, 2008, Volvic will make a donation of $.04 on behalf of each of the runners to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

Founded in 1976 by Mike Barnow, The Westchester Track Club is a multi tiered club for elite, recreational, masters and children's developmental programs. Mike's reputation and his dedicated passion to the sport has led to the endless request of athletes from countries such as Morocco, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia as well as the United States, to come to Westchester and train.
Many of these athletes, through Mike's guidance and coaching skills, have made their qualifying marks with their team and have run on their own country's Olympic teams.
Currently, there are 23 African athletes on the club's 90-member roster. Four are Olympians.

• Kassahun Kasibo

  Two time Vancouver International Marathon Champion

  "I know how lucky I am to train with The Westchester Track Club here in New York. My friends back home are not so lucky. Please help."

• Abiyot Endale

  Former National Ethiopian Team member

  "I run one hour every morning in Van Cortlandt Park and stop at two water fountains along the way. I am always reminded how different it is back home."

• Aziza Ayilu

  2004 World Junior Cross Country Championships: 2nd place

  
  

  2006 and 2007 Boston Mayor’s Cup 5K Cross Country Championship Winner
  

  1st place in Newport 10K: 32:43

• Girma Tolla

  2000 Ethiopian Olympian at 10,000m 10K PR: 27:13

  2008 Peachtree 10K: 4th place

  
  2008 NYC Nike 1/2 Marathon: 5th place in 1:02:50

• Etaferahu Tarekegn

  National Ethiopian team member 1500m PR:14:14

NY Marathon - November 2nd 2008

The Ethiopian runners did great at NY Marathon;
5 of them where in the top 20; among them:

13th - Mohammed Awol (2:19:13)

14th - Kassahun Kabiso (2:19:54)

16th - Genna Tufa (2:20:23)

20th - Deresse Deniboba (2:21:54)









on the picture
Deresse Deniboba, finished in 2:21:54

SPING 2009

In 1958, legendary explorer Sir Edmund Hillary crossed the South Pole in 82 days, his vehicle of choice — a tractor. In 1991, Shinji Kazama from Japan crossed the Pole on a motorcycle in 24 days. In 2005 a 6-person team made the journey in 69.5 hours in a specially modified truck and achieved a world record. In 2009, a four-person team will attempt to break the world record by driving 745 miles in an unassisted, non-stop journey across the harshest, most desolate place on earth.

This is not a simple voyage of speed. As the coldest place on earth temperatures can dip down to -76 F and the deep snow provides one of the most difficult driving conditions for even the most experienced driver. But perhaps the most dangerous component is that drive takes place on top of a glacier with crevasses that can swallow a car, and its inhabitants, with one false move.

For each mile driven during this expedition by Michele Shapiro, who initially conceived the idea, and Andrew Comrie-Picard, a top-ranked rally driver and three-time X Games competitor, Volvic will donate $.40 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.