This year I'm giving up my birthday. This year I'm asking people not to send gifts or cards, but to send money. It's not going to me, though. All of it is going to build freshwater wells for people in developing nations.

If you normally give me a present, take that money and donate it to charity:water. If you normally only give me a card, take the $3 and donate it here. If you normally don't give me ANYTHING but think this is a WORTHY cause, take whatever you can afford and donate it here.

Over the next year, Clay and I, are trying to raise $5,000. This would be enough money to drill 1 well to give a community of 250 people clean water for 20 years. Just $20 provides 1 person with clean water for 20 years. For my Birthday, I would like to raise $500. THAT MEANS I NEED 25 FRIENDS TO DONATE $20 EACH.

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.