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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Mendy and Forrest Walden participate in the 14th annual Workout for Water event at Iron Tribe Fitness in Homewood on May 3. The event raised a record $614,000 in the Birmingham-metro area, bringing the 14-year total to $6.2 million. Workout for Water provides clean water to communities in Ethiopia.
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Photo courtesy of Iron Tribe.
Iron Tribe members Stoner Goneke, left, and Patrick Lantrip after completing the Workout for Water to benefit Neverthirst at Iron Tribe’s U.S. 280 location.
By combining two of his passions — fitness and philanthropy — Forrest Walden’s vision is bringing clean water to places in desperate need of it across the world.
May marked another record-setting Workout for Water event across Iron Tribe Fitness locations in the metro area. Participants gathered at Iron Tribe gyms to sweat it up while raising money for Walden’s clean water nonprofit, Neverthirst.
Walden launched Iron Tribe in 2010, starting with its original location in Homewood and expanding to locations in Hoover, Mountain Brook, downtown Birmingham and a new location that opened earlier this year on U.S. 280.
That same year, he helped launch Neverthirst, with the goal of raising money and awareness for the millions of people who lack access to clean and safe drinking water in Africa and southeast Asia.
At May’s workout, Iron Tribe members completed their workouts while carrying filled water jugs, symbolic of the hardships those in impoverished areas often undertake to bring clean water to their families.
The one-day event in the metro gyms raised more than $614,000 and brought the 14-year total for the event to more than $6.2 million. Other Iron Tribes across the country will add to that total in events later this year.
Neverthirst has identified and serves 14 areas in eight countries that are in dire need of clean water, in regions such as India, Nepal, Cambodia, Niger, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Ethiopia.
This year’s Workout for Water was particularly special for Walden and his wife, Mendy. While on an early Neverthirst trip to Ethiopia several years ago, they were moved to adopt a son from that country.
“It's super exciting to know that all the funds being raised today are going to go directly to the home country of my son, the place I've been twice, people I've fallen in love with, beautiful people who need clean water and they
need access to the gospel, and both of those things are happening through this event,” Walden said.
To learn more or make a contribution visit neverthirstwater.org.
