February 29th, 2024
We always preach to our students the importance of staying hydrated while here at school. This day, however, the water took on a different meaning.
Each day, our students strap on their climbing gear and climb 40 feet in the air to get the job done. It’s what makes us woodwalkers after all.
On a relatively normal Friday in February, our students did what they always do, laced up their boots, strapped on their gaffs, adjusted their belts, and tightened their buck squeeze to climb like any other day.
But, on this particular Friday, they weren’t climbing for themselves, hanging a crossarm, or assessing storm damage. On this Friday, they were climbing for others. They were climbing for neverthirst, a non-profit organization that exists to reach communities across the globe, providing them with sustainable clean and living water.
A total of 171 students voluntarily participated in the Woodwalkers for Water event on February 4, 2022, between both our Electrical Lineworker Program and our Communications Lineworker Program. Their goal? To raise enough funds to build a well in Uganda to help transform the lives of the local villagers.
And their goal was surpassed. Our students raised $24,355 through fundraising efforts and a donation made by SLTC based on the students’ number of climbs. More than 5,750 climbs were completed by students in just a three-hour window. Their efforts totaled over $11,000 in donations made on their behalf by SLTC.
Linework is a discipline rooted in selfless service. Linemen are trained to run towards the danger, not away from it, in order to serve those in need. Our goal as a lineman training center is to instill in our students from the beginning a sense of responsibility in serving the communities in which they’re working before they ever graduate.
Since its origination, the Woodwalkers for Water event with neverthirst has raised almost $70,000 and has provided sustainable water solutions for more than 1,700 people.
As always, we make it competitive for our students, giving them an opportunity to compete against other pole circles to see who can raise the most money and climb the most poles. For the third event in a row, the Transformers have come out on top, totaling over $4,500 raised and 1,306 poles climbed by their pole circle alone.
To all those who supported our students to change lives, thank you. We are so grateful for our opportunity to equip and prepare the finest group of pre-apprentice linemen in the business.
