Diners in Washington were met with a surprising request this past week. More than 104 restaurants asked patrons to pay a $1 fee for tap water, a service usually provided for free.

The request came as part of Washington’s participation in the Tap Project's World Water Week, a UNICEF fundraising campaign dedicated to providing one needy child with 40 days of clean water with every dollar donated at participating restaurants.

Ben Hawkins, associate creative director of the week’s advertising agency, GMMB, said, "The Tap Project started in 2007 in New York City. It was started by an agency called DROGA5 and they came up with this simple idea of, ‘Here’s tap water, something no one really ever thinks about when you get it at a restaurant. Maybe this is a way of helping.’ It was a really simple, clever idea. They connected with UNICEF on this, and, I believe, the first year New York City raised something like $300,000 or something like that.”

The campaign quickly spread across the United States and into Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan and New Zealand. Washington joined the effort in 2008 and emerged this year, despite economic hardship, as the project's fastest-growing market.

While many cities lost participants to financial trouble, Washington's program grew from about 40 to more than 100 contributing restaurants. Rachael Swanson, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF volunteer and community partnerships program manager, attributed this success to the synergy that existed among Washington restaurants, volunteers and advertising agencies.

“I think there was really a tie between the food and art,” Swanson said. “I think D.C.’s take on those two things was really exemplified by the Tap Project. There’s a lot of great food in D.C. and a lot of great art. I think some of the great things about D.C. really came out through the Tap Project.”

Every city that hosts a Tap Week creates its own theme. This year, Washington’s was “Turn a Glass of Water into Something Beautiful.” Shahdeh Ammadi, Corcoran Gallery of Art assistant director of student and alumni development, said the week’s theme successfully engaged Washington’s political and artistic cultures.

“It’s been great because more and more people are really aware of the numbers of how many countries don’t have drinking water and how it’s impacting all the children in these countries and how difficult it is,” Ammadi said. “D.C. is a political hub and it’s also an art hub, and I think it’s really a brilliant idea that they did the ‘something beautiful’ exhibition because you’re hitting two great communities in D.C.”

Rate: