Print Story

Rob Thomas Performance in Georgia

By: Tiffany Lempesis

Rob Thomas performed in Atlanta last Sunday for participants of the Dow Live Earth Run for Water to help raise money and awareness for the global water crisis.

The worldwide initiative took place Sunday, April 18 in more than 100 cities in 50 countries. Its purpose was to promote awareness and raise money to combat the water crisis, according to a press release by Dow Live Earth on March 9.

Live Earth is a for-profit company that pairs entertainment with critical environmental issues so that the importance of these issues may reach a large audience in a way that impacts them to take action. The company claims that it can “ignite a global movement” by “[leveraging] the power of entertainment through integrated events, media and the live experience,” as defined in Live Earth’s press release.

Multi-platinum three-time GRAMMY Award winner Rob Thomas, along with two-time GRAMMY Award winner Melissa Etheridge are slated to perform in Los Angeles and Atlanta, respectively, doing their part in endorsing an end to the water crisis, stated Live Earth in their press release.

The two performances are the only events in the United States. Rob Thomas will conduct his show following the race for participants and volunteers of the event.

The Run for Water in Atlanta will take place at Pemberton Place at 8:45 a.m.

Registration for the race is $30 before April 1^st and $35 from April 2^nd through April 15^th. Participants of the race can run and/or walk the 6K and are encouraged to be a part of the worldwide initiative for battling the global water crisis.

Proceeds from the races will go directly to the Global Water Challenge. For the Atlanta race specifically—a portion of the fees will go to the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR).

The Global Water Challenge is a coalition of leading organizations that “provide creative and sustainable solutions for universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation,” as defined in Live Earth’s press release. The UCR is a nonprofit environmental advocacy group “whose mission is to protect and preserve the Chattahoochee River… for the people, fish and wildlife that depend upon it,” according to their website and Live Earth’s press release.

For more information about the race, readers can go to Live Earth’s website: http://liveearth.org. To learn more about the Global Water Challenge and the UCR, readers are encouraged to visit their websites: http://www.globalwaterchallenge.org and http://www.chattahoochee.org, respectively.

[Image] Copyright 2010, Live Earth, http://liveearth.org/en/press/photos

Sidebar: Students Protest Dow at Sunday's Race in Atlanta, Ga.

TV Story

Teaser: In a moment…find out how three-time GRAMMY Award winner Rob Thomas got involved with Live Earth’s Run for Water here in Atlanta.

(***Anchor: John***)
(***Reporter: Tiffany Lempesis***)

Haiti still needs your help. One dollar was donated for every participant who registered for Dow Live Earth’s Run for Water event held this morning.

Reporter Tiffany Lempesis joins us now from Pemberton Place where Rob Thomas performed for race participants today. Tiffany?

(***Live Shot-Tiffany OC***)

Yes, thank you, John. I am here. I am just outside the World of Coca-Cola where Rob Thomas finished a show for those who participated in Dow Live Earth’s Run for Water.

It was a fantastic turn-out with more than 3000 runners and walkers who showed up this morning to show their support. After the race, both athletes and volunteers gathered behind me for the show.

Rob performed eight songs including: “Her Diamonds,” “Ever the Same,” and a mash up of songs from Matchbox Twenty.

None of the athletes or volunteers seemed to mind being here at eight this morning. It was a very good day for a race, back to you John.

(***Return to anchor***)

The Atlanta Track Club announced musician Rob Thomas would perform following Dow Live Earth’s Run for Water in March.

Here is a clip from an interview with Rob Thomas after the show this morning. He explains how important Run for Water is to him and his band and what he hopes to accomplish being a part of the Global Water Challenge.

(***SOT: Musician Rob Thomas***)

(***Return to anchor***)

Proceeds from Run for Water benefited the Global Water Challenge in the fight against the global water crisis. The company is using the donations to raise awareness about the crisis, as well as to find solutions for clean and safe drinking water. For Atlanta runners, a portion of their registration fees went directly to the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper nonprofit organization so they may continue to clean up the Chattahoochee River.

Officials from the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper say, the Chattahoochee provides drinking water for more than 3-million people and is one of the most threatened rivers in the United Sates.

Dow Live Earth’s Run for Water was a great opportunity for members of the community to be involved with the worldwide initiative to combat the global water crisis. Atlanta was one of one-hundred cities across 50 countries participating in the Run for Water to benefit the Global Water Challenge.

(***Kicker***)

Live Earth says, drinking unsanitary water leads to birth defects for pregnant mothers, miscarriages and illness. Haiti, along with parts of Africa, Asia and other countries across the globe are affected by unsanitary drinking water.

For more information about how you can get involved, log onto our website at: www.cnn.com keyword: Live Earth.

Online Story

Global Water Challenge comes to Georgia

By: Tiffany Lempesis

Worldwide initiative Global Water Challenge (GWC) unites music sensationalist Rob Thomas with Dow Live Earth’s Run for Water to raise awareness about the global water crisis.

Live Earth says on its website that in countries like Haiti, and in regions such as Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, millions of people are drinking contaminated water. Live Earth claims that by the year 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population will not have access to clean drinking water.

Dow Live Earth is conducting a Run for Water event on Sunday, April 18. There will be 100 cities across 50 countries participating in the initiative to promote awareness on the water crisis.

In Los Angeles, two-time GRAMMY Award winner Melissa Etheridge is scheduled to perform after the race in Exposition Park; Atlanta is set to have three-time GRAMMY Award winner Rob Thomas perform. Los Angeles and Atlanta are the only cities in the United States that are doing the 6K event; however, other cities across the country such as New York City and Charlotte, N.C. are holding events to provide awareness and raise money.

The Atlanta race is set to kick off at 8:45 a.m. at Pemberton Place and go through nearby neighborhoods. An image of the course participants will run in Atlanta is shown here.

Cities across the country are participating in this global movement with a variety of events. If you are interested in taking part in a run or just want to learn more, readers are encouraged to check out Live Earth’s website at http://www.liveearth.org to find an event near you.

[IMAGE] By: John Michael Maas, Copyright 2010, Global Water Challenge, http://liveearth.org/en/press/photos