I don't think that anyone should be dying of thirst!

My name is Leo Kagan, and I am 10 years old. I am a very lucky kid. I have a great family, awesome friends; I live in a great place. And soon I'll be turning 11, which everyone knows is a great age!

I play hockey, and sometimes after a game or practice, I say things like, "I'm dying of thirst!"

But the truth is that I've never REALLY been thirsty. Most of us haven't. We turn on the faucet, and water comes out. Most of the time, I take that for granted.

Meanwhile, 800 million people in the world don't have clean water. In the Sahel region of Africa, for instance, they have to walk five miles to fetch water in 110 degree heat, four or five times a day! They have to pull the water from a well by hand and carry it back in buckets.

Can you imagine that?

Can you imagine a friend or family member dying because they drank dirty or contaminated water? I can't. But every day, 5,000 kids die from water-related illnesses—before they reach their 5th birthday.

I'd really like to help change that. That's why for the second year in a row, I'm "giving up my birthday" for charity: water. So instead of sending me a card or a birthday present, I'm asking everyone I know to donate $11 to this birthday campaign.

Last year, I raised $1360—and this year, I'm hoping to double that goal! And I'm getting an early start this year, because a generous donor has offered to match all donations made to birthday campaigns during the month of September.

Which means any $11 donations made in September actually = $22!

I hope you'll help me celebrate my birthday by bringing clean water to another 11-year-old somewhere in the world.

Thank you!

- Leo