On December 7 I am turning 46. At one point this fall I went to the doctor with discomfort in my chest. It turned out to be nothing but it really got me thinking about what's important. A few weeks later a man I admired just a few years older than me died suddenly, and I decided to focus my life forward on things that really matter.

Turning 46 suddenly seemed daunting, half my life was over.

But then I found out that millions of people don't live to see their 5th birthday. And why? Because they didn't have access to clean, safe water.

So I'm not scared of turning 46 anymore. In fact, I'm celebrating my birthday like never before.

I'm asking for $25 from everyone I know - and every penny of the money raised will go directly to fund freshwater wells in developing nations. Even better, every dollar is "proved" when the projects are complete, and photos and GPS coordinates are posted using Google Earth.

My goal is to raise $500 by my birthday, December 7, 2010.

Please consider helping me.