If Trump won’t solve the water crisis, then maybe the Smiths can
Flint, Michigan still doesn’t have clean water. Donald Trump has probably forgotten but hey, at least Will and Jaden Smith haven’t.
Our favourite celeb father and son duo created an eco-friendly water company, JUST WATER, making it their mission to donate water to the area. So far, they have donated 9,200 bottles to the city. Jada Smith is also close to the cause.
“Jada has visited Flint and met with the mayor,” CEO, Ira Laufer of JUST WATER said in a press statement. “Flint is very dear to her heart. After reading more about Flint's challenges and the mayor objecting to pulling bottled water from the schools, we thought, let's help these kids.”
Jaden’s environmental awareness was inspired by surfing in the ocean at the age of 10. After feeling uncomfortable with the number of bottles he saw floating around, he insisted that his family do something about the plastic debris destroying the earth.
“This was a company born out of a child's love for the ocean,” Will Smith told the Associated Press. They have made it clear the brand is not just about some celebrities selling water. Major goals for the company include producing classroom furniture from used water bottles and reducing plastic and carbon dioxide emissions globally.
Dear The Youth, You're The Future, Do What's Right. pic.twitter.com/mnyU9qwWwI
— Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) March 10, 2018
The Flint water crisis began in 2014 when the drinking water source for the city was changed to the Flint River. Over 100,000 residents were exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water. Michigan State officials have said there have been improvements in Flint Water with steady reductions in lead levels, though it still remains undrinkable.
Along with the Smiths, other celebrities have pledged donations to Flint including Cher, Big Sean and Matt Damon. Damon co-founded Water.org, a charity dedicated to providing clean drinking water to underdeveloped countries. Unfortunately, it’ll take more than a few celeb donations to fix the Flint water crisis, but we're glad Will and Jaden are using their influence to raise awareness of the ongoing issue.