This birthday marks the year of my Saturn Return, a period associated with a shift to adulthood, responsibility and community stewardship.

So many birthday rituals involve giving and receiving stuff we hardly want or need. Stuff we later forget about and discard, feeding wretched landfills. Honestly, I don't care so much about the stuff.

So this year, I'm giving my birthday up.

I'm turning 27 years old, and instead of asking for gifts, I'm asking for $27 or more from everyone I know. Every penny of the money raised will go to build freshwater wells for people in developing nations. $5,000 builds a well - it's a lofty goal but it's worth fighting for.

A billion people in the world are living without clean water. 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 stupid drinks at a bar or gifts I don't need; it's to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billion living without it. I want my birthday to celebrate the human right to free, clean, healthy water for all children born on this planet.

Please join me!

In love, health and solidarity,
Laurie

**Because of charity: water's unique model, 100% of all donations go directly to water projects costs. Each donation is "proved" and tracked to the village it helped when projects are complete with photos and GPS coordinates posted via Google Earth.