Mount student brings tears to Africa
Shane Lynch is a fourth year Bachelor of Public Relations student who recently launched the first Canadian chapter of Dry Tears, an organization that raises money to build wells in African communities.
“Over one billion people worldwide don’t have access to clean drinking water and extreme dehydration can prevent individuals from having the natural ability to cry,” explains Lynch. “After realizing how much I’ve been blessed with, I felt inspired to play my part in balancing out the difference between my life and so many others.”
To date, Lynch and his supporters have started a grass roots promotional campaign, organized a fundraising event, designed a promotional poster, started social marketing and raised about $2000.00 for Dry Tears. The funds will go towards building a well on Africa’s second largest internally displaced persons camp in Darfur, Sudan, providing clean drinking water for 1.9 million people.
Locally, Lynch is a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters and a volunteer coach to aspiring athletes. Lynch is also a third degree black belt in Taekwon-Do. He recently embarked to Italy to compete in the International Taekwon-Do Federation (I.T.F.) Third World Cup, where he won three out of four fights and placed top 10 in a division of 84 competitors.
Within the next year, Lynch hopes to see Dry Tears expand and plans on travelling to Africa to visit the well they’re currently aiming to build. After graduating from the PR program in fall of 2009, Lynch plans to continue his education at the masters level.