Howard Hall’s annual 24 hour teeter-totter event begins at 4 p.m. on Thursday and will last until 4 p.m. on Friday. Each year, the women of Howard Hall choose to donate the funds to a need somewhere around the world related to clean water access.
Howard Hall residents will occupy the teeter-totter for 24 hours in 30 minute shifts, but other students and Notre Dame community members are encouraged to ride the teeter-totter with a suggested donation of $1.
Planning for this event started as soon the chairs arrived to campus this fall. The co-chairs this year are junior Veronica Kalwajtys, who will ride the teeter-totter at 4 a.m. Friday morning, and sophomore Emily Eagle, who will ride the teeter-totter at 6 p.m. Thursday.
This year’s Totter for Water proceeds will go to a Holy Cross school in Plaisance, Haiti.
“This year we picked [the school in Plaisance, Haiti] because of the Notre Dame — Holy Cross connection,” Kalwajtys said.
Kalwajtys and Eagle said that the proceeds will go towards two present issues at the school in Plaisance: access to clean water and cleaner bathroom facilities.
“The school there has some problems of cholera because of the lack of clean bathrooms and other sanitation facilities, so they really need that to prevent cholera. And then most of the kids don’t have access to clean water,” Kalwajtys said.
Eagle said the event went to support a worthy cause.
“It’s such great cause, when you think about people not having access to water,” she said.
Free food will be available from 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursday and 9 to 10 a.m. on Friday. Students can also purchase succulents for $6 and paint the pots at the totter event, Kalwajtys and Eagle said. Donations can be made in cash, Domer Dollars and online via the Congregation for the Holy Cross website.
In years past, Howard Hall has aimed to raise $3 thousand to $5 thousand through Totter for Water. This year, however, the goal is $25 thousand because of a new initiative, Tats for Totter, by Howard Hall president, junior Gracie O’Connell, who will ride the teeter-totter from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
“If Howard Hall reaches $25 thousand in donations, five out of the seven [members of] hall staff will get Howard Hall-related lip tattoos,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell herself sports a “GOAT” lip tattoo because Howard Hall is the greatest of all time, she said. She also confirmed the rector of Howard Hall, Amanda Springstead, is one of such five hall staff that will get a lip tattoo if donations exceed $25 thousand.
“It’s a big reach, but it’s for such an important cause,” O’Connell said.
In addition to a fun event for students, and the prospect of hall staff getting lip tattoos, the overall purpose of Totter for Water is to raise awareness in the Notre Dame community of the lack of clean water in many places and to hopefully make a monetary contribution, Eagle said.
Kalwajtys and Eagle also said that Father Pete McCormick, the director of Campus Ministry, will ride the teeter-totter at 8 p.m. on Thursday.
Howard Hall plans to seesaw for 24 hours with Totter for Water
Courtesy of Veronica Kalwajtys
Residents of Howard Hall paint signs to prepare for Totter for Water.
