Where do big ideas come from? For Dickson Beattie “ Doc”
Hendley, his epiphany came while taking a break from college and his gig as a bartender to travel the world. During his trip, Hendley saw first hand the impact of the water crisis on the world’s poorest, especially children. When he returned, he was haunted by the image of entire communities without clean drinking water.
“Water kills more children than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Every 15 seconds a child dies because of unclean drinking water. When I heard things like that, I was absolutely shocked…. I decided to do something about it,” Hendley observed. At least one in six people worldwide lack access to adequate amounts of safe water for drinking and hygiene, according to the UN. This contributes to diarrhea, the leading cause of illness and death, and translates to 1.5 million preventable deaths each year.
Hendley quickly realized that he could use his skills as a bartender and networker to help the problem. He began holding wine tasting events at the bars where he worked, both to increase awareness and raise funds to help with the water crisis. In January of 2004 the first fundraiser was held and by August of that same year Doc was living in Darfur, Sudan installing water systems for victims of the government-supported genocide. By the time Hendley graduated, he had not only started his own non-profit organization, Wine to Water, but had raised enough funds to start providing clean water to residents in the developing world. In 2007, after working two jobs and volunteering his time for over three years, Wine To Water, became an official 501 (c) (3) and Doc’s dream became a reality.
“When the idea came to me to start Wine To Water the only real world job experience I had was tending bar. I dreamed of building an organization that fought water related death and disease using completely different methods than anyone else. So I started raising money to fight this water epidemic the best way I knew how, by pouring wine and playing music.” Hendley recalls. Since 2004, Hendley has traveled to Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Cambodia, working with local communities to build clean water wells and sanitation systems.
Hendley notes ““You can be a bartender in Raleigh, North Carolina; you can be just a regular anybody. And you really, really can change the world,” he says. “You can touch thousands of lives. I’m walking truth of that.”
