Matt Damon utilized the stage at the Sundance Film Festival–not solely to tout his acting–but instead to address the issue of clean water.
Along with Gary White, Matt Damon founded Water.org, a nonprofit that aims to provide clean water in impoverished nations all over the globe. He is incensed about the water issue in Flint, Michigan.
Matt Damon and Co. discussing the world water crisis. #sundance @ TAO Park City Utah https://t.co/qDKtrHMM1K
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) January 24, 2016
“Imagine this outrage we feel about Flint–this justified outrage, I should say, because that should never happen in the United States of America, ever,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But there are people for whom life is such a desperate struggle, that they’re faced every day with the choice of giving their children dirty water or no water at all.”
Gary White and Matt Damon introduced their partnership with beer maker Stella Artois to announce the “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign. The company is introducing a limited-edition collection of decorated glass chalices. Each one represents water-poor countries such as Ethiopia, Haiti, India and Honduras. The cost of each $13 goblet will provide a woman in one of these countries with five years worth of clean water.
Matt Damon went on to say the issue in Flint shows how awful life without clean water is. He recalled a trip to Ethiopia a few years back where he saw children filling water bottles, and that water was the color of chocolate milk.
“I have four daughters,” Damon said. “When you start having kids, it’s hard not to see other kids as your own … It’s incumbent upon me to do whatever I can within my sphere of influence to help.”
Kudos to Matt Damon and Gary White for their work with Water.org. Hopefully their influence can affect lives in Flint, Michigan, where the need for safe, clean drinking water is hitting so much closer to home.