Dear Friends and Colleagues New and Old,

If you don't make it past the first sentence, please take just a few minutes out of your busy day to watch this video:

http://vimeo.com/48503668

While you and I enjoy blessed first-world luxuries of food, shelter, safety, and the freedom to pursue our dreams, one billion of our less-fortunate counterparts lack access to what we flush our toilets with: clean drinking water. One billion.

Every morning, children are late for school, not for a lack of desire to learn, but because they need to walk, sometimes for miles, to retrieve a bucket of water for their family. Water that they know is dirty, acting as proliferate agents of dysentery and disease. That is, children who are lucky enough to live past 5.

This year, I am pledging my birthday in hopes of raising a modest amount to support Charity Water's Rwanda initiative to build a well for a life time.

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I never know what to do with my birthdays. I never wanted any gifts. I just don't like getting them if no one else was supposed to get any. And to tell you the truth, something about having a special day just to celebrate me makes me feel uneasy. What did I do to warrant it?

My most memorable birthday was in the 6th grade. It was just my mother and I, and we were in our little 1 bedroom on campus where my mother was getting her masters.

I invited 6 kids from school to come over because anyone who didn't have a birthday party was an outcast. I was really nervous. I had only been in the US for a couple years at that point and desperately wanted to fit in. What if they looked down on the size of our apartment? Why would they even show up when other kids have laser tag and Skate-Land for birthdays?

Not only did they show up, they pooled together a monumental $60 and got me my favorite video game. How did they even know?

We spent the day just running around outside and playing at the basketball court on campus. I remember to this day that it was one of the happiest moments of my life, not for the video game, but because I got something priceless that truly meant something to me.

So.

This year, and every year hence forth, I will ask you for something that truly means something to me.

I don't need any nice dinners, presents, or parties. For the first time, for whatever it's worth, I've found something that I am meant to do for my birthday.

It would make me so genuinely happy if you (yes you!) could contribute a small gift for this cause that will go toward the building of a well in Rwanda.

My birthday is on May 8th, when I will turn 26 years young. Therefore, I am suggesting a $26 donation (but any amount is greatly appreciated), and I am setting a very modest goal of $975, which would bring 15 men, women, and children clean drinking water. Let's hope to exceed it.

I have given the first $26. Now it's your turn to help by donating and/or telling others about it.

Thank you for reading, and my gratitude in advance.

Sincerely,

Tom Fang

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P.S. If you contribute to my campaign, you can count on me contributing to your Charity Water birthday campaign :)

P.P.S Every penny (yes, 100%) of your contribution will go directly to the water projects on the ground.

If you're not familiar with Charity Water, they don't use any of your donations to cover overhead. The operational expenses are from private donors, foundations and sponsors to cover everything from staff salaries to basic office systems to office rent and supplies.