I don’t usually do much for my birthday but this year is different -25 is a big deal. A much bigger deal is the amount of people in 2013 who don't have clean water, a luxury we take for granted.

Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean drinking water. Every day, 5,000 kids die from water-related illnesses before they reach their fifth birthday. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are simple solutions like drilled wells, spring protections and BioSand filters that help provide clean water to communities around the world.

This year I am pledging my birthday to charity: water. In lieu of cards and gifts, I am asking my friends and family to please donate to my birthday campaign. 100% of every dollar you donate to my birthday campaign will be used to build clean water projects in developing countries. charity: water funds their operating costs separately through a group of private donors, so 100% of all public donations will go directly to people in need. Even better, charity: water will show us exactly which projects we funded once they've been fully completed (which takes about 18 months). That means we'll know the locations and names of the communities we helped.

I can't think of a better birthday gift. Please donate to my campaign, and make this the best birthday ever!