Because I have never have cause to question the quality of my drinking water, because it so easy for some to take clean water for granted, because bottled water in my community is not better than tap water...

Because 4500 children die every day from drinking unsafe water and lack of sanitation, because I never have to worry about this being one of my children, because most people don't live to see their 5th birthdays, because almost a billion people in the world are living without clean water, because 30,000 people will die this week alone,

Because some children and mothers walk for hours a day to get dirty water for their families, because some mother's have to choose between cooking meals, washing dishes, cleaning clothes and bathing their children due to insufficient quantities of dirty water that took them hours to collect and when children are not wearing clean clothes, they are sent home from school...

water affects education, health and safety...

Because of this, I am giving up my birthday.

No gifts, no parties.

On April 5th., I'm asking for $41 or more from everyone I know. It's not going to me, though. All of it is going to build freshwater projects for people in developing countries.

My birthday wish this year is to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billion people living without it. I want to make my birthday matter this year.

The best part: 100% of all donations go directly toward water projects. And about 18 months after this campaign ends, charity: water will show us where and how every dollar we raised ended up helping in the field. We'll see GPS coordinates, photos and more details about the communities we've impacted.

Please join me.

Christie