Dickson Beattie "Doc" Hendley (born March 19, 1979[citation needed]) is the founder of Wine to Water, an American charitable organization devoted to providing clean water and sanitation to people around the world.
Dickson Beattie "Doc" Hendley | |
|---|---|
 Hendley pumping water from a well in Trujillo, Peru, 2009 | |
| Born | March 19, 1979 Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Other names | Doc |
| Occupation(s) | Author, Speaker, Philanthropist |
| Known for | Wine to Water |
| Spouse | Amber Hendley |
| Children | 3 |
Wine to Water
editHendley is the founder and current president of Wine to Water, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit aid organization focused on providing clean water to needy people around the world.[1] Wine to Water has worked in Sudan, India, Cambodia, Uganda, Ethiopia, Peru, South Africa, and Kenya.[2] The organization responded to the 2010 Haiti earthquake by bringing a water purification system to be implemented within disaster areas.[3]
Hendley first envisioned the concept of Wine to Water in 2003 while bartending and playing music in nightclubs around Raleigh, North Carolina.[4] In January 2004, the first fundraiser was held at a local bar in Raleigh. With the money raised during the event, Hendley traveled to Darfur, Sudan, and began installing water systems for victims of government-supported genocide.[4] He then lived in Sudan for about a year. Upon his return to the United States, he began to focus his energy on developing Wine to Water programs in other countries and received local and national media attention as a result.
CNN Heroes Selection
editIn May 2009, Hendley was selected as one of the CNN Heroes of the 2009 year out of nearly 9,000 submissions.[5] In October 2009, a panel of judges — including Gen. Colin Powell, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Turner, and Elton John[6] — announced that Hendley was a "Top 10 Finalist for CNN’s Hero of Year."[7] In 2009, Wine to Water had implemented sustainable drinking water initiatives in half a dozen countries and over 25,000 individuals, by 2014 those numbers have rocketed to 18 countries and over 300,000 people. [8]
Book
editHendley published his first book in 2012 titled "Wine to Water; A Bartender's Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World." The book has received very positive reviews, and has been picked up by several universities as required reading. The book was left a little "open ended" so a follow-up is expected.
The following quote was taken from the book jacket:
Whether he is describing being shot at by the Janjaweed militia or children's excitement when a well starts pumping out water, he illuminates the facts of the crisis in a very human way. Hendley's humanitarian work is inspiring. --Publishers Weekly
References
edit- ^ Wine To Water. "Wine To Water - Home". winetowater.org.
- ^ Wine To Water. "Wine To Water - Our Projects". winetowater.org.
- ^ "Heroes Of Haiti: CNN Tells Stories From The Rubble". The Huffington Post.
- ^ a b Wine To Water. "Wine To Water". winetowater.org. Archived from the original on 2010-12-21.
- ^ "CNN Heroes 2014 - Everyday People Changing the World - Special Reports from CNN.com". cnn.com.
- ^ "CNN Heroes: Meet the Blue Ribbon Panel". cnn.com.
- ^ "And the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009 are ..." cnn.com.
- ^ "CNN Heroes - Special Reports from CNN.com". cnn.com.