Today is the launch of Passports With Purpose, the fundraiser by travel bloggers to support projects in the developing world. Last year, PWP raised $90,000 to build two libraries in Zambia through a partnership with Room to Read, and this year we plan to raise $100,000 to fund wells in two communities in rural Haiti.
The beneficiary of this year’s project is Water.org, a nonprofit organization that works with communities to provide access to safe water and sanitation. Think about your travels and the worry about whether the water in your lodge or hotel room is drinkable. It’s a legitimate concern—you could be sidelined for a day or two (or worse) if you make the wrong choice. What if a clean water source was a daily problem for you? It is for nearly one billion people.
Win a Stay at Pacific Sands Beach Resort
For Passports With Purpose, the Pacific Sands Beach Resort in Tofino, British Columbia, has kindly offered a two-night stay. The stay is valid for a one-bedroom ocean-view Lighthouse Suite, but not valid June 1 to September 30, holidays or long weekends and expires December 19, 2013. The prize is valued at $430. The resort’s location on Cox Bay allows guests to play all day on the beach, surf, check out tide pools, or walk along the Sunset Trail Boardwalk through the rain forest.
During my short time in Tofino this year, I went surfing and kayaking, but also had amble time for beach walks just outside my two-bedroom beach house at the resort. The entire time of my stay, I kept the windows open to let the sweet ocean air into every inch of the house. It’s the ideal place for almost anything: a celebration, a romantic retreat, a family gathering, or even a place to recover from a bad day.
How You Can Donate and Win
Beginning today, (Nov. 27, 2012) the Passports With Purpose website will show a list of all the prizes available, and each one will link back to a full description of the prizes on the blogger’s website. For each $10 in donations that you make to Water.org, you’ll be entered to win a prize (or prizes) of your choice.
The fundraiser closes on Dec. 11 and all proceeds go directly to Water.org. You can donate $10 for the prize of your choice, multiples of $10 for one favorite prize if you want to increase your chances, or $10 or more for several different prizes. You can also make a donation as a gift on behalf of someone else.
Thank You
A huge thank you to Pacific Sands Beach Resort for donating the prize and caring about the project. Thanks also go to PWP sponsors: Expedia, Tripit, TBEX, HomeAway, Travellerspoint, HostelBookers and Go with Oh.
Finally, thanks to the founders and organizers of Passports With Purpose: Beth Whitman, Debbie Dubrow, Michelle Duffy and Pam Mandel, the bloggers behind Wanderlust and Lipstick, Delicious Baby, WanderMom and Nerd’s Eye View.