This document summarizes Brett Leckey's efforts over several years to raise money for LifeStraw, a water filtration device that provides clean drinking water. Brett was inspired after learning that thousands die daily from water-related diseases. He raised over $10,000 through various events like school fairs and presentations to organizations. The money was used to purchase LifeStraw devices, which were distributed through charitable partners to provide clean water access in places like Africa and Haiti. Brett's efforts also led to the creation of a nonprofit called Ucan2 to help other kids make a positive difference on issues they care about.

1. By Brett Leckey

2. About Brett
 Brett Leckey
 Madison, CT
 5th Grade at Brown Middle School
 Plays football, baseball, wrestling, parkour
 I have two sisters, 7 and 12, two dogs, cat and a guinea
pig
 I had 3 guinea pigs, 24 snakes, 5 fish

3. The Idea
Last year, my sister, Abby, was looking at the 2009
World Almanac for Kids on the way home from
vacation. She came across a picture of a girl drinking
from a big bowl of dirty water. I read the article and
it said that every day 6,000 people die of water related
diseases, most of them children. It showed a
LifeStraw® and how it could help people get clean
drinking water. So, I asked my mom if I could raise
money to help.

4. Water facts we have learned
6,000 people die everyday from water related disease
That is one child every 20 seconds.

5.  Some girls go to get unsafe drinking water from lakes
and rivers instead going to school
 Sometimes the girls get attacked from people on the
roads

6. You can’t survive without water.
A person can survive for about a month without food,
but only a week without water.

7. We are very lucky

8. LifeStraw®
Is manufactured by Vestergaard-Frandsen
It lasts for one year or 1000 liters.
It costs about $6.50.
It filters out 99.9% of waterborne bacteria, and viruses.
It cannot be used in saltwater.
It is easy to use.
No batteries or replaceable parts.

9. How it works

10. The Jeffrey School Luau,
March 20, 2010
I explained my idea to raise money for Lifestraw® by
selling crazy straws to my principal and she allowed
me to set up a table at the school fair. I made an
informational poster and stood for 4 hours telling
students and their families about the cause and selling
crazy straws.

11. Global Awareness Day
Madison, CT
April 24, 2010
I set up a table to
share my project and
the need for clean
drinking water . This
is when I met Mr.
Pikaart from the
North Branford
Rotary Club.

12. Rotary Club, North Branford, CT
April 27, 2010
After receiving my first public speaking invitation, by the
North Branford Rotary Club, I sat down with my mom and
created an outline for a PowerPoint presentation.
At the meeting, I learned about some of the projects they
were working on. They were very encouraging and
suggested I visit other Rotary Clubs in Connecticut.

13. Devon Rotary Club October 2010
The Devon Rotary Club sent me off with a BIG check
and a challenge to the next Rotary Club to beat it!
Essex Rotary Club October 2010
They accepted the challenge and raised it.
Madison Rotary Club February 2011
Accepted the Challenge and passed it on…

14. Night of Songs May 6, 2010
Students at Daniel Hand
High School held a
benefit concert where a
free will donation was
collected at the door.
Over $850 was donated to
LifeStraw® that night.
I spoke on stage and
thanked “everyone for
helping “us”, and by us I
mean the children of
Africa and Haiti.”

15. Housatonic Valley Regional
High School
The student activist group sent $365, a dollar for each
day of the year. A teacher started this group after
reading an article about Lifestraw® in Time magazine
five years ago.
He went on a mission trip in Haiti this summer.

16. CELC Water Workshop
Guilford, Ct
March 29, 2010
I brought my idea to CELC middle school in
Guilford. The students were inspired to help so
they held a water related workshop and donated the
admission charge to Lifestraw®.

17. St. Andrews VBS 2010
I spoke to the kids at
Vacation Bible School
and their parents about
Lifestraw and how I got
involved. They took a
collection of $200 that
day!
Messiah Lutheran Church VBS
Lewiston, NY 2010 and 2011
This church heard what we were doing and collected
over $700

18. North Madison Congregational
Church
Students grades K-8 were presented with 3 charities to
donate the money from the children’s collection. Each
class voted for Lifestraw sending $2000 to buy 400
Lifestraws.

19. Madison Exchange Club
Leprechaun Run 2011
After Brett gave his presentation to the Madison
Exchange Club, they gave Ucan2 a table at this year’s
race to give out information and collect returnable
water bottles.

20. USCSNow
USCSNow flavor contest at Ashleys’s Ice Cream this
summer. Proceeds from sales of the winning flavors
and donations totaled $700

21. Press on Lifestraw
 CNN 2010 names Lifestraw one of the Ten Things
to change the World
 Time ‘Best Invention of 2005’
 Forbes magazine ‘One of the ‘Ten Things That
Will Change The Way We Live’

22. What I’ve Raised
Amazingly , I have raised over $10,000 from those events
and also:
 Donations from family and friends
 Proceeds from 2010 Vacation Bible School in Lewiston,
NY
 Selling crazy straws at local stores:
How Cute, Madison, CT
Deep River Toy Company, Deep River, CT

23. Where does the money go?
The Rotary Club in Ft. Lauderdale, FL is in partnership
with the following two distributors of Lifestraw®:
www.projecthope.org
www.imaworldhealth.org

24. Guida’s Good Kid’s Contest
 One of ten winners of a $500 savings bond

25. Paul Harris Fellow Award
The Madison , CT Rotary Club presented the award
August, 10, 2011

26. Kohl’s Kids Care Scholarship 2011
Store Winner $50 Kohl’s card
Regional Winner of $1000.

27. How you can help
Keep a jar on your kitchen table or
at the office. put spare change in
and collect money and contact
Give your us at kbleckey@gmail.com take
change the proceeds.
Make a change
Be the change

28. Happy Birthday!!
Madison 3rd grader, Micky Wherle asked for donations to
LifeStraw instead of birthday presents this year!
And Ucan2….

29. Ucan2…educate. inspire. act.
So many kids have wanted to help that my mom decided
to start a non-profit organization to help make that
happen. Kids can choose an issue that they are
passionate about and find ways to make a difference.
To learn more about it, go to
www.Ucan2.org

30. Ucan2-Project Lifestraw
1. Collect cans and bottles
2. Bring to recycling center
3. Drop voucher and or coins into collection buckets

31. Ucan2-Project Simply Smiles

32. Ucan2 -Project Sewing Silky
Blankets

33. Almost Sleepover
Almost Sleepover 2011, Madison
event. Almost 100 girls collected
cans and bottles for Ucan2.

34. Earth Day

35. Thank you
For more information go to
www.Ucan2 .org