I need a favor because I’m donating my birthday to charity: water.

Here’s how that works. On my birthday, I’m asking everyone to take the money they would have spent on a wildly expensive present for me and instead donate it to charity: water.

But you may be thinking, “Hey, I never give you a birthday present. And if I did it wouldn’t be wildly expensive. Besides, I wouldn’t even know about your birthday if it wasn’t for that Mark Zucker-face-book-guy!”

Okay. Fair enough.

How about this? Let’s keep the tradition alive. No wildly expensive birthday presents for me. But I hope you will make a contribution here.

Why make a contribution? Because you’ll help save lives. Only $20 will provide clean water for one person. In many countries, clean water makes all the difference. The difference between health and disease. Between living and dying.

Or if you don’t want to make a contribution, then donate your own birthday. If you do, let me know about it and I’ll throw in $20 when your big day rolls around.

Or do both. Make a contribution now and donate your own birthday later.

The people at charity: water do great work. Check out their website. Photos, videos, stories, annual reports, audited financial statements. It’s all there.

By the way, I put in $100 to get things started. That’s my own new tradition.

Thanks very much!

Kurt