FORT THOMAS, Ky. — Students at one northern Kentucky high school were outside Wednesday, trying to do some good for the world a day after a tragic school shooting in Texas that left over 20 people dead.

The experience showed students the struggle many people in the world go through everyday just to get water. Their goal was to lessen that struggle for families in need.

Highlands High School junior Emma Daly came across the idea in an old school yearbook this past fall. A “water walk” sounded like a good idea to Daly, but students at the Fort Thomas school hadn’t done one in a few years.

So Daly went to her chemistry teacher, Colleen Epperson.

“She said, ‘If you plan it, and you get people to do it, then we’ll be able to do it,’” Daly said.

Fellow junior Olivia Kohler was eager to join in. “I was like, ‘can I help you? I’ll help you set up.’ And ever since then, we’ve just been working on it for a couple months,” she said.

On Wednesday, May 25, rotating groups of about 250 students walked four miles around the school’s football field, period by period. Teams of four students each carried five-gallon containers of water, handing the containers off to teammates as needed.

“People in developing countries walk about four miles each morning to get their water,” Daly said.

“We’re trying to resemble what men and women and children do every day in developing countries,” Kohler said. “They have to walk miles and miles just to get water. Water that isn’t even clean. It still needs to be purified.”

Their goal was to raise awareness and money. In previous weeks, students had been going out and getting people to sign pledge forms to donate. The money will go to CONAPAC Peru, a nonprofit which will help get water filtration systems to people who need them. 

According to its website, CONAPAC is a Peruvian nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote conservation of the rainforest through education of its stewards, the people who live along the Amazon and Napo River.

Students also learned about waterborne illnesses, and how to filter water properly.

“We don’t really have to think twice about getting clean water. We can walk down in the hallways and fill up our water bottles. You can get water out of your fridge at home or from your sink. But it really is an issue for people in developing countries,” Kohler said.

Daly described the experience of carrying the container as “difficult.”

“In the forefront of your head, you’re thinking, ‘Wow, people do this every morning and every day to get dirty water,’” she said. “We don’t realize how lucky we are to have what we have every day.”

Chemistry teacher Del Ehemann said 4,000 children die every day from waterborne illness.

Given the added context of the tragic loss of life in Uvalde, Texas just a day earlier, Ehemann said she couldn’t be more proud of her students for being a light in what can be a dark world. 

“I’m immensely proud that we’re trying to do something positive here. And trying to shed light. Schools aren’t all doom and gloom. It’s not all these kids coming in and doing horrible things,” Ehemann said. “We’ve got a lot of great kids doing great things each and every day. I’m immensely proud of all of them.”

Teachers did not yet know the amount of money that had been raised as of Wednesday. 

Anyone who would like to still donate can contact Ehemann at her email address: Daniela.Ehemann@fortthomas.kyschools.us