At some point, I stopped celebrating my birthday. You see, I hate being fussed over. With a quiet wink, I hid my birth date on social websites and began avoiding people near the middle of January. Invariably, someone notices and says "wait, it was your birthday?"

Something happened last year though. I discovered desire to celebrate everything - even myself. But, wouldn't you know it, I also discovered CHARITY WATER. Charity Water is perhaps the most worthy and beautifully simple humanitarian causes I've had the pleasure of being exposed to.

On January 16, I turn 38 years old - something I might have wanted to hide before. Instead of asking for gifts or a party, I'm asking for $38 or more from everyone I know. It's not going to me, though. All of it is going to build freshwater wells for people in developing nations. That said, every dollar goes a long way - so any amount is wonderful!

A billion people in the world are living without clean water - but how much are they really living? Millions contract deadly diseases from contaminated water. 45,000 people will die this week alone. The lucky ones won't, but still walk hours each day to get dirty water to give to their families.

My birthday wish this year is not for more gifts I don't need; it's to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billion living without it. I want to make my birthday matter this year.

Please join me.

please note: Because of charity: water's unique model, 100% of all donations go directly to direct water projects costs, and each donation is "proved" and tracked to the village it helped when projects are complete.