campaign: BB’s Clean Water Project
end date: Jan. 12
goal amount: $5,000
amount raised so far: $2,338
It’s one thing for an adult to give up Christmas gifts and ask for donations to water projects — but for a kid? When all his friends are still anticipating presents under the tree? Seven-year-old Bridger did it anyway. We talked to his Mom about his decision to bring clean water to people in need this holiday:
How did Bridger find out about charity: water?
Bridger actually came to me one day and told me that he heard some countries think Americans are selfish. He decided then and there that he was going to save his allowance ($7/week) and that he would send his first $100 to help people in Africa. Around this same time, a friend of mine on Twitter (@LoveP), started a birthday campaign. I went to donate and became amazed with charity: water. I showed Bridger some of the videos, and without hesitation or prompting from me, he decided he was raising $5,000 for a well and told me the name he would give the well when he reaches his goal.
Whoa, that’s a big decision for a little kid! And an ambitious goal for anyone. How did you react, as his mom?
My heart melted when Bridger decided he wanted to give up Christmas gifts in order to raise money for clean water. I may or may not have cried numerous times. The big, ugly cry. I am so incredibly proud of him, I can’t even tell you.
Has this been hard for him to do, especially since Bridger has friends and siblings who are getting normal gifts this year?
The true test came when I asked my four kids to write their Christmas lists… Bridger was done in about two seconds. His paper said simply, “Donations”. He has a twin brother who wasn’t very happy with him not wanting toys for Christmas. He did come around and donate his allowance money to Bridger for a few weeks, and he has also been saving coins for months to present to his brother on Christmas!
You know, I really thought Bridger would begin to have second thoughts about giving up gifts, but honestly, he hasn’t even blinked an eye. There are two things he has been dying for all year: a scorpion plush and a book about insects. Not once when people have asked him what he wants for Christmas has he mentioned anything other than donations, though. A lot of the gifts we have given to others, we have purchased from the charity: water site.
How do you promote his campaign?
I do a lot of asking for donations through social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and my blog. I have amazing friends and family and they have been so supportive!
How does Bridger spread the word?
Bridger has been very active with telling people about what he is doing in person… he has walked away with donations at his dentist and eye appointments. He even donated his tooth fairy money! We did a photoshoot around our family farm with Bridger and an old hand-pump for a well. It was freezing cold, but he was a great sport and suffered through it barefoot. He has a charity: water sweatshirt. And he wears a charity: water bracelet every hour of every day, although we had to modify it with black electrical tape because it keeps falling off his arm.
He also let me interview him on tape [video above]. We put up the outtakes of this interview here >
And our local CBS news station, KXMB, came over to interview Bridger, too. They’ll be airing Bridger’s story on Christmas Eve. It should be available online soon after it airs.
Christmas is almost here! What about after that?
Bridger has vowed to fundraise right up through Jan. 12, and is already talking about his next campaign. Seriously.
You can do anything to raise funds for clean drinking water. 100% of donations go directly to water projects in developing countries. Learn more here >