FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAGUNA MAASAI FOUNDATION
CONTACT: HENRY LE
COORDINATOR
HENRY.LE@LBUSD.ORG

May 24, 2023 

Laguna Beach High School students host auction to raise money to benefit Maasai Foundation

Funds raised will provide the Maasai Village with a permanent water infrastructure system

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – Laguna Beach High School (LBHS) Model United Nations (MUN) students will host an online auction of eight custom-painted 50-gallon rain barrels to raise funds to provide the Maasai Village in Kenya with a permanent water infrastructure system. The auction will be open on ebid.net beginning on May 26, 2023, and will remain open until midnight on June 1. 

All of the sales will go into funding the $31,000 water well project to improve access to clean drinking water as a drought threatens the Maasai’s food supply, health, and well-being.

The Laguna Maasai Foundation seeks to improve the lives of the people of Oloolaimutia Village in Maasai Mara, Kenya, with both immediate relief and long-term development through the Orange County Community with an emphasis on youth education and global awareness.

“It’s amazing to see our community unite collaboratively with the LBHS FLOW (Fire, Land, Ocean, Water) club, the Laguna Beach Water District, School Power, and several non-profit organizations,” said Coordinator of the Maasai Foundation Henry Le. He continued, “Gladys, our friend from the Maasai, reached out to update us on their worsening situation. The Maasai Village in Kenya suffers from a long-running drought which has starved their livestock and forced the villagers to walk long distances to get clean water. The funds raised will mean a lot to their people.”

The Laguna Beach County Water District (LBCWD) donated eight 50-gallon rain barrels to LBHS’ FLOW Club, while the students at El Morro Elementary, Top of the World Elementary, Thurston Middle School, and Laguna Beach High School unleashed their artistry to decorate these barrels. The barrels were placed in the hands of the Laguna Maasai Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Laguna Beach students in 2012, where the students are organizing an online fundraiser to auction the rain barrels. 

“The District was happy to lend its support and donate rain barrels to this worthwhile cause,” said Christopher Regan, Assistant General Manager, LBCWD. “It’s exciting to see local students working to improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in a community on the other side of the world where drinking water is a luxury.”

The rain barrels can be previewed at https://www.lagunamaasai.org/. The auction will begin at midnight. Individuals can also make direct donations online through Venmo to @Laguna-Maasai. Questions can be directed to Maasai Coordinator Henry Le at henry.le@lbusd.org. Interest forms can be found at https://forms.gle/LBFeLpaeAj28YuKL6.

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