Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

To each of you who gave to my Christmas campaign for charity: water this year I am truly grateful. The campaign ends today, December 31 because every quarter charity: water closes their books on personal campaigns and sends the money to the field so that wells and be drilled, and that water can flow.

I am touched by the breadth of the response, gifts came from people who I have never met, people who I am peripherally connected to, and from people who I care deeply about (and clearly clearly care deeply about me).

My wife and my mother-in-law asked me for water for Christmas as well. This may have been the best gift of all, to be able to give this gift of sustaining life to others in the name of my family.

Gifts came from people who wished to remain anonymous, which has an ironic appropriateness all it’s own. Giving in a way that you could receive nothing in return, to people who have never met you, so that they might have life. This reflects the tone of Christmas, doesn’t it?

Through individual campaigns like this, charity: water raised over $5 million, more than 286,000 people were served by 1144 water projects. Each of you were a part of that.

This is only through individual campaigns, charity:water served hundreds of thousands more people in other ways, and raised millions more through their truly unique funding model. You can read more about how charity: water is rejoicing in their successes from 2010 in their blog http://www.charitywater.org/blog/

I am humbled by your generosity towards me and towards the poor who are thirsty.

Thank you,

Jeff

p.s. The picture on my page is one of the dozens of children in the Haitian villiage of Marechel, who captured my heart in March. We met her as she was gathering water, which the villagers knew was making them sick. This is why we went to Haiti, to provide clean water after the January earthquake. It is why charity: water exists, to be a part of saving lives and eradicating poverty around the world this Christmas. I am selecting Haiti as the country to receive my donations, you will have a choice when you give, I will be honored if you choose Haiti.