Clean Water, Shared Purpose

This month, our CEO Sandy Gonzalez and CRO Brittany Frase joined fellow Reciprocity Road distributor partners in Mexico City to fund and build a Planet Water Foundation AquaTower—bringing clean, fresh, and safe drinking water to a local school community that previously had none.

What started as a team-building experience quickly became something far more powerful: a reminder of what can happen when purpose, people, and partnership flow together.

A Collective Effort For Good

Reciprocity Road is more than a group of brand-merchandising companies—it’s a community built on the idea of reciprocity: giving back to our employees, our supply chain, and our communities.

Together with PromoCares, PPAI, 6AM Sourcing, FFP Mexico, and the Planet Water Foundation, our teams came together to turn compassion into action.

The result? A fully operational water-filtration system that now provides up to 1,000 liters of clean water per hour, supporting more than 1,800 people every single day. Each AquaTower removes contaminants like bacteria, viruses, and parasites—and operates without external power—creating sustainable impact for generations to come.

Building More Than A Tower

At the Escuela Primaria General Francisco I. Madero, Sandy and Brittany worked side by side with volunteers and students to assemble the system, paint the structure, and learn about the community’s needs firsthand.

Throughout the day, the group joined local children for hygiene and hand-washing lessons, helped distribute reusable cups and school supplies, and celebrated as the first cups of clean water were poured—an unforgettable moment of joy, relief, and connection.

Impact In Action

For MadeToOrder, this experience reflects more than a single day of service. It represents our belief that merch—and business itself—can be a force for good. By partnering with like-minded organizations and leading through empathy, we’re able to help create meaningful change that extends well beyond our industry. It’s about showing up—together—for the people and places that need it most.

As Sandy Gonzalez shared, “This project embodies everything we stand for at MTO—collaboration, community, and compassion. It’s proof that when we come together, small actions can ripple into lasting impact.”

And to our partners—Reciprocity Road executive directors, Perry Wehrle and Bobbi Levingston, PromoCares, and our incredible families and teams who held down the fort while we were away—thank you for helping make clean water and bright smiles possible. 

Continuing The Ripple Effect

Interested in supporting this life-changing initiative? The Planet Water Foundation continues to bring clean water systems to schools and communities across the globe through its partnership with PromoCares and Reciprocity Road.

To learn more about how to get involved or fund your own tower, visit planet-water.org or promocares.org.