I recently learned that millions of kids around the world don't live to see their fifth birthday because they don't have access to clean, safe drinking water. We can help change that.

For this birthday, instead of asking for gifts, I'm asking for my age in dollars from everyone I know. My goal is to get at least 50 people to donate $24; the total amount of money raised can assure that 10 families get clean drinking water.

The video below is a concise and comprehensive overview of the issue and what we can do via charity:water.

The amazing thing about charity:water is that 100% of the money we raise will directly fund water projects around the world, and when those projects are complete, the foundation will send us photos and GPS coordinates so we can see the impact we made.

Whether or not you'd normally get me a birthday gift, I'd really encourage you to donate any amount you can. Think how different life would be if you didn't have clean water. We can make an incredible impact just by changing the way we approach celebrating birthdays!