I've always had more than I needed. Maybe you can identify. Sure, there's always someone out there who has more than me, but I've never been REALLY hungry, and I've always had access to good health care and clean water.

My birthday has become an opportunity for the people who love me to express that in the way that our culture commonly does so - by buying me more stuff. Since hearing about the ministry of charity:water, I've been challenged to reconsider how I want that to go this year.

And I've taken up the challenge to "Trade Up," to exchange something of limited temporary value and enjoyment for a gift that will provide people around the world with health and hope for decades.

So this year, I'm giving my birthday up - or really, "trading up" from a day focused on me to a day focused on the needs of the developing world.

I'm turning 34 years old, and instead of asking for gifts, I'm asking for $34 or more from everyone I know. It's not going to me, though. All of it is going to build freshwater wells for people in developing nations.

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.