Thursday, 20 November 2025, 15:24
More than 500 people of all ages took part in the Walkathons for Water held in Benalmádena and Mijas, an initiative promoted by the We Are Water Foundation and Hilton Grand Vacations. The initiative aims to raise public awareness of global water and sanitation challenges through a series of walks currently taking across Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Portugal and Austria.
Now in their third year, these charity walks span five kilometres – a symbolic distance that reflects the daily journeys millions of people undertake to collect water that is often unsafe to drink.
More than 160 students and teachers from Mariana Pineda school in Benalmádena joined the initiative, taking part in activities that encouraged them to reflect on the importance of water for health and well-being, as well as to learn about the everyday challenges faced by communities living with water scarcity.
“This beautiful initiative opened our students’ eyes and hearts. They became aware that many children live without access to water — a reality completely different from their own,” teacher Virginia Ledesma said.
In addition, the initiative also raised funds to improve access to water and sanitation in communities in India and Colombia. More than 2,600 euros was raised to help to improve the quality of life for thousands of people.
“We want to thank all the participants who joined these two charity walks. Thanks to their involvement and Hilton Grand Vacations’ ongoing commitment, we have been able to drive forward an initiative that improves the lives of thousands of people without access to such an essential resource as water,” Carlos Garriga, Director of the We Are Water Foundation, said.