This year, I'm giving up my birthday.

I'm turning 35 years old and, in lieu of gifts, I'm asking for $35 or more from everyone I know. It's not going to me, though. All of it's going to build freshwater wells for people in developing nations.

While we spend the holidays with our friends and families, a billion people in the world are living without clean water - but how much are they really living? 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 more gifts I don't need; it's to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billion living without it.

My goal is to raise $10,000 by December 31 . . enough to build a freshwater well in a village and provide over 500 people with clean drinking water.

I want to make my birthday matter this year.

Please consider joining me.

(all donations are 100% tax-deductible)