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With each tackle, Seahawks' K.J. Wright helping to bring clean water to children in Kenya

By Riley Michel
By Riley Michel

RENTON, Wash. — With every tackle that Seahawks' linebacker K.J. Wright records this season a village in Kenya is one step closer to having easy access to clean drinking water.

The eight-year Seahawk veteran took a trip to Massai Mara in Kenya in the offseason, and while visiting a local school was surprised to learn about the lengths that women and children go through to access clean water.

“When we went to the school I looked down and saw this young girl had a dirty brown water bottle. I got to asking questions like 'What's the situation here why is this water looking this way?'” Wright told KIRO 7’s Steve Raible on Wednesday.

Wright went on to explain that women and children are forced to walk two miles to fetch clean drinking water, and then carry it back.

In total, the journey can take up to two hours.

So Wright decided to take action and has pledged to donate $300 for every tackle this season to help build two wells for the village. Click here to read more about Wright's efforts on the Seahawks' team website.

With five tackles in his first game against the Lions last Sunday, that total sits at $1,500.

“I just want to bless this community because they blessed me and just build a well there because water is one of a lot of things we take for granted. So if we just make life easier for them, I'll be a happy camper,” Wright said.

Wright has teamed with Healing Hands International to raise the money and if you want to donate you can do so here. As of Friday morning, $9,185 dollars of the $50,000 goal had been raised.

While Wright has only recently taken on the project in Kenya, his eagerness to give back dates back to his early childhood in Mississippi.

“(My Grandma) always had us doing things of this nature. She always had us going to nursing homes on Christmas to sing. She had us go to Saint Jude Hospital and give away our toys… It’s something that I was raised to do, and I’m sticking with it,” Wright said.

Cox Media Group

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