Hi, my name is Max Colbert and I am 13 years old. I co-founded the Menlo App Academy (www.MenloAppAcademy.com).

The holidays are all about food, fun, family and gifts.

But here's the reality of Christmas in our world: America spends around $500 billion a year on Christmas gifts. That's more than $600 per person! We also spend another $8 billion on Christmas decorations.

This Christmas, I'm taking a step back from that world. This Christmas, I want to give more than gifts that fit in boxes.

I want to give people life by providing fresh, clean drinking water.

800 million people are living without clean drinking water on our planet. Some walk miles every day to get to the nearest source: a stagnant, parasite-infested stream or pond. They lug it back to their families. They suffer from diarrheal disease, worms and skin problems because they can't wash. About 30,000 people die each week from water-related diseases. Most are kids under five years old!

My mission is to raise $200 by Christmas this year. 100% of every dollar I raise will go directly to water projects. And when the projects are complete, charity: water will show us GPS coordinates, photos and other details about the communities we've helped. Together, we'll be able to see the impact we've made.

Please join me by donating.