You may have seen it on the freeway or driving through your neighborhood but probably weren’t sure what it was or where it was going. Adorned with “Water First!” message, the Notah Begay III Foundation water trailer is eye catching and gets passersby thinking about water.
The Water First! Drink Up.water trailer is what we use to transport, and serve, healthy infused waters to youth and families. Like food trucks and lemonade stands you’ll most likely catch us community gatherings and local events. However, we aren’t there to serve up sugary drinks and treats, we are there to share healthy infused waters and spread the important message of drinking MORE water, and less sugar sweetened beverages.
Since 2018 the trailer has been one tool we have used to educate and encourage healthy hydration in Native communities and beyond. Water is and will always be the best drink choice for our bodies. However, we often hear water is boring, has no flavor, or doesn’t provide the boost of energy ssb’s do. We are trying to change that perspective by educating youth and sharing information to help encourage healthy water consumption.
To kick off 2023, the first stop for the trailer was at the Santa Fe Indian School on Friday, February 24 for the health and wellness event! Hundreds of middle and high school aged students visited the trailer to sample different flavors of infused waters. The students were surprised at flavorful you can make the water by just infusing it with a few different fruits and vegetables. The flavors we shared on that day were Strawberry Cucumber and Apple Cinnamon infused waters. Apple Cinnamon always gets mixed reviews, so if you’re looking for solid favorite, we’d suggest trying Strawberry Cucumber.
The great thing about the water trailer is it grabs everyone’s attention and is suitable for all audiences. Which is why we are hoping to get it out in more communities in 2023. If you would like to request the water trailer at your next community event you can submit a request form for review. Due to capacity, we are only able to travel within our local area. However, our friends and relatives who live further away can catch the trailer at the Gathering of Nations in April!
