Founder and president of Wine to Water, Doc Hendley to present keynote at fifth annual Hope in the City Leadership Breakfast

Doc Hendley – the President and Founder of Wine to Water – will be in Halifax in May to serve as keynote speaker for the fifth annual Hope in the City Leadership Breakfast, presented by Nova Scotia Power.

The event, an annual fundraiser to support The Salvation Army, will take place on Wednesday, May 25, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the World Trade & Convention Centre. It will bring together approximately 400 business people and community leaders for a morning of networking, education and entertainment in support of the work The Salvation Army is doing in our community.

While bartending in North Carolina Doc Hendley originally intended to fundraise money in support of the world’s fresh water crisis. However, he ended up organizing several wine tastings, and then bringing the funds he raised to war torn Darfur, Sudan.

While in Darfur Doc saw the government using scarce water sources as a means of extermination by damaging the wells, thereby removing a fresh water source.

Through outsourcing the work to locals Doc quickly realized that the wells could be repaired for only $50 each, saving thousands of people.

While in Darfur Doc’s team was risking their lives and two members of his team were tragically killed.

Upon returning home from Darfur in August 2005, Doc was set on building his dream of a recognized non-profit organization dedicated to providing clean water to those in need. In 2007, after working tirelessly at two different jobs, and volunteering for three years, Wine To Water became an official non-profit organization.

Doc currently has projects running in nine different countries around the world, and is responsible for saving thousands of lives by providing access to a resource many so often take for granted, water.

Hendley has also written the book Wine To Water, which shares his quest of creating his non-profit organization.

When Hendley isn’t travelling to speak, or working on water projects around the world, he lives in Boone, North Carolina with his wife, Amber and two sons Justin and Beattie.

In 2009 CNN awarded Hendley the title of Hero for his work in creating fresh water sources for 25,000 people across five countries.

CTV Atlantic news anchor Steve Murphy will return to serve as emcee for the fifth consecutive year. In addition to presenting sponsor Nova Scotia Power, the event is made possible thanks to the speaker sponsor Investors Group.

Tickets are available for the event at a cost of $50, or you can purchase a table of 10 for $500.  There are still sponsorship opportunities available for this event. If your organization would like to receive a sponsorship package, please contact Coralee Lewis at coralee_lewis@can.salvationarmy.org