Modesto family organizes second Water Fore Life golf benefit

On April 25, 2015, it was a balmy 72 degrees in Modesto after a few early morning showers. But 7,600 miles away, Nepal was experiencing the first of a devastating series of earthquakes.

A massive 7.8 quake struck on the 25th, followed by aftershocks measuring 7.3 and 6.3 two weeks later. More than 8,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced from their homes. Chaos, destruction and landslides further exacerbated the country’s already rampant poverty.

Across the globe, as people watched and hoped that Nepal would receive the aid it needed, the Butler family of Modesto already was on it. Just a month prior to the April earthquakes, Austin Butler, then a senior at Big Valley Christian High School, hosted a Water Fore Life golf tournament in partnership with World Help to raise funds to construct a water well and a church for the villagers in Chisapani, Nepal.

Butler and his family, who aided him throughout the process, had aimed to collect $12,500 to complete this construction, but the turnout at Water Fore Life surpassed expectations. At the end of the night, the event had raised $37,000, enough to build four clean water wells and two churches for several impoverished areas in Nepal.

For a while, the Butler family was unsure whether it was up to hosting another golf tournament. But once they heard about Nepal’s devastating earthquakes, the Butlers felt they had no choice.

“This year, the need in Nepal is greater than ever,” said Alec Butler, younger brother of Austin and co-host of this year’s Water Fore Life event. “Our goal this year is to raise funds to build a clean water well, a church and a home for the people in Nepal.”

This year’s Water Fore Life golf tournament will be held Feb. 29 at Del Rio Country Club. Like last year, people can donate toward the construction of a water well in Nepal by purchasing a round of golf, donating money or contributing items for an auction.

“Last year, I thought it was excellent,” said Alec Butler, then only a spectator to the event his brother started. “The day of (the tournament) was awesome. Everything seemed to flow perfectly.”

Before Austin Butler went off to college in the fall at Liberty University in Virginia, he asked Alec to help host another Water Fore Life event. “I think (Austin) being who he is, just having so much passion for the people in Nepal, it impacted me and reflected on me,” said Alec, a sophomore at Big Valley Christian. “I want to keep spreading what he started.”

The Water Fore Life tournament last year had been inspired by World Help, a faith-based humanitarian nonprofit that aims to serve the physical and spiritual needs of impoverished communities. While at a World Help event with his family, Austin Butler learned about the global thirst for water and the lack of water sanitation in many developing nations.

“At the event, I caught a passion to meet the needs of others around the world because there are people desperately needing our help,” Austin Butler said in a promotional video for Water Fore Life. “I learned that 1 billion people lack access to clean water, resulting in more than 2 million deaths per year.”

Nepal, one of the most impoverished nations in the world, is infamous for its poor sanitation system, leading to contaminated water and mass epidemics of hepatitis E and diarrhea. The April earthquakes compounded this health issue.

“This year, I’m really hoping to help and show that I have the push for the people in Nepal,” Alec Butler said. “The earthquake just devastated them. We really want to help them as much as we can.”

On top of an already busy schedule of sports, music and church activities, Alec Butler has been investing his time to make sure this year’s Water Fore Life is just as successful as last year. He hopes enough funds are raised to meet the goal of one well, a church and a home, but said, “Whatever God brings for us, we’ll take with glad hands.”

His mother, Susie Butler, also has put a lot of time and energy into the project. “Last year, we had no idea what would happen,” she said. “But it was so worth it. The day of (the event) was like unbelievable joy and excitement. All these people got involved and did this great thing for some people that they don’t even know.”

On how the event will impact his own future, Alec Butler said, “Colleges see what you’ve done and what you help out with. But I also think it will impact me just to know that there are always people out there who are in need, and if I can do something, and I have the resources and the funds, I’m going to do it because it’s a good thing to do.”

This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 9:25 AM with the headline "Modesto family organizes second Water Fore Life golf benefit."