Every year I have to go through this "I don't want to make a big deal of my birthday" shpeel with people who want me to know how much they love me. It's always appreciated but hardly necessary. I don't want my birthday to be about stuff. Stuff I don't want, stuff I definitely don't need.

So this year, I'm giving my birthday up.

I'm turning 25 years old, and instead of asking for gifts, I'm asking for $2500 or more to go entirely towards building freshwater wells for people in developing nations.I know it sounds like a lot, but I also know that it can be done.

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.