INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN (February 9, 2010) – The youth group at International Falls Covenant Church has been charging exorbitant prices for an eight-ounce bottle of water to raise funds to benefit Haiti.

The group has been selling the water for $10 per bottle the past three weeks on Wednesdays and Sundays. The high price is an object lesson about the steep costs of providing water in Haiti, whether drilling wells or shipping it in, says Youth Pastor Kyle Gunderson. “It is a tangible lesson of what it is to live in the aftermath of a disaster.”

The group has raised nearly $2,000. “It’s been a really good thing,” says Gunderson. “People have really gotten behind it.”

Members of the youth group have contributed more than $500 of their own money.

Children in the Awana program also have been eager to give, donating more than $40.

Some people have placed water bottles on shelves in their offices as conversation starters. Gunderson says it is hoped that every time someone drinks from one of the bottles, they will be reminded of the needs in Haiti.