Mesa, Arizona is stepping up its game to combat the lethal summer heat, launching the annual Hydration Donation Campaign a month early with the ambitious goal of collecting 700,000 water bottles to aid those most at risk, the city said in a statement.

The campaign, which started strong with hefty water donations from Walmart and Niagara Bottling, is a response to Maricopa County's record number of heat-related deaths last year and the forecast of another sizzling summer, according to the City of Mesa. Mesa's Vice Mayor Francisco Heredia has praised the community's generosity, saying, "As the temperatures rise, let’s all pitch in by donating water bottles to ensure nobody goes thirsty in the summer heat, it’s a real lifesaver for those who need it most."

The United Food Bank, a key partner in the initiative, distributes the donated water across several nonprofit organizations in Mesa, providing relief not just from thirst but also the dangers of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, as the Emergency Manager with the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, Office of Emergency Management, Robert Campa, emphasized the critical nature of these donations to the City of Mesa.

With the campaign coinciding with Arizona Heat Awareness Week, experts are sounding the alarm about the peril of the desert heat, especially for those without shelter; meanwhile, Resurrection Street Ministry is doubling as a respite center, providing much-needed services like air conditioning and hydration to those who walk through their doors, and they're calling for volunteers to chip in. Mesa Chamber of Commerce is rallying local businesses for support, offering the One Ton Water Challenge that allows groups to contribute en masse via a pallet of water weighing over a ton, easily donatable through a simple scan at a local real estate office.

To help the cause, residents can drop off water bottles at multiple designated locations across Mesa, or make cash donations to support the purchase of additional water supplies, all detailed on the city's official campaign page.