This fall, the Des Moines community will come together to honor Bognanno, founder of Purify Project, at the Water For Life Gala, Saturday, October 17, from 6–9 p.m. at Echo Valley Country Club in Norwalk.
The evening will celebrate the man behind a clean-water mission that has grown from an unexpected encounter in Tanzania into more than 66 water purification systems at primary and secondary schools across the country, providing clean water to thousands of children and students.
But the story began far from Des Moines.
In 2012, Bognanno traveled to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with Dr. Richard Deming and Above + Beyond Cancer. Bognanno, a cancer survivor himself, made the climb and celebrated Mass along the way.
While in Tanzania, a series of introductions led Bognanno to the local Catholic bishop. That relationship eventually brought him back to Tanzania, where he asked a simple question: What do you need?
The answer was water.
Bognanno learned that unsafe drinking water was making children sick and interfering with their ability to attend school. He returned to Iowa determined to help.
That determination became Purify Project.
What began as an effort to provide safe drinking water at schools has since grown into a broader commitment to sustainable clean-water infrastructure in Tanzania. Purify Project has now installed more than 66 purification systems at primary and secondary schools. The organization has also built a fish hatchery and designed and funded a new regional water-testing laboratory, now nearing completion, to help monitor and maintain water purification efforts across the region.
For Bognanno, however, the impact has always been measured in people rather than projects.
On a return visit to Tanzania after purification systems had been installed, he saw firsthand what clean water meant for the schools: children who once became sick during the school day were able to remain in class.
That legacy is what friends, supporters and members of the Des Moines community will celebrate October 17.
“Monsignor Bognanno is authentically kind, emotionally charged and positively joyous,” said Eddie Mauro, longtime friend and supporter of Bognanno and a founding board member of Purify Project. “Frank has spent his life showing people what can happen when faith is put into action. This evening is our opportunity to celebrate the work he started, the lives he has touched and, most importantly, to make sure the mission he believes in continues.”
The Water For Life Gala is hosted by Purify Project board members Kate Coppola, Ted Corrigan, Earl Harper and Eddie Mauro.
Bognanno will attend the gala along with Purify Project’s Board of Directors, longtime supporters and community donors.
The evening will include cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions, guest speakers and live music, all centered around celebrating Bognanno’s dedication and continuing Purify Project’s mission of Clean Water for All.
Individual tickets are $100, with sponsorship opportunities also available.
Tickets, sponsorship information and additional details are available at www.purifyproject.com/links.
Bognanno’s impact in Iowa extends well beyond Purify Project.
Ordained in 1965, he has served the Catholic Church and the Des Moines community for more than six decades. Among the defining moments of that service, Bognanno was selected to serve as general coordinator for Pope John Paul II’s historic 1979 visit to Iowa, helping organize an event at Living History Farms that drew approximately 350,000 people.
He later hosted weekly programming on EWTN, developed the Emmaus spirituality program for priests and has served in numerous leadership and pastoral roles throughout the Diocese of Des Moines.
Yet an adventure late in his ministry created another chapter—one that would connect Iowa with thousands of schoolchildren nearly 9,000 miles away.
On October 17, the community he has served for decades will have an opportunity to say thank you—and help carry that mission forward.
Monsignor Frank Bognanno is available for advance interviews regarding his life, his 2012 Mount Kilimanjaro journey, the origins of Purify Project and the clean-water mission that followed.
Media are also invited to cover the Water For Life Gala on October 17, where Bognanno will be in attendance along with Purify Project board members, supporters and community leaders.
High-resolution photographs of Monsignor Bognanno, photographs and video from Purify Project’s work in Tanzania, event graphics and additional background materials are available upon request.
WHAT: Water For Life Gala — Honoring Monsignor Frank Bognanno
WHEN: Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 6–9 p.m.
WHERE: Echo Valley Country Club, 3150 Echo Valley Dr., Norwalk, IA 50211
TICKETS: $100 per person
INFORMATION: www.purifyproject.com/links
Purify Project is a Des Moines-based nonprofit founded by Monsignor Frank Bognanno with a mission of Clean Water for All. The organization works to provide sustainable clean-water solutions to schools and communities in Tanzania. Purify Project has installed more than 66 purification systems at primary and secondary schools, helping provide clean water to thousands of children and students. Its work has expanded to include sustainable community projects and the development of regional water-testing infrastructure designed to help protect clean-water access for years to come.
Bryan Webber
Development Director
Purify Project
bw*****@***********ct.com
515-554-9884
www.purifyproject.com
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