A birthday marks an arbitrary passage of time that serves as a steady reminder to take stock of your life and measure the growth you've made since the last rotation around the Sun.

As I reflect on all that I have and the luck of opportunity granted to me at birth, I am reminded of those that have so much less, simply because they lost the lottery of chance.

This year, I'd like to use the Birthday Platform to help the 663 million people on this planet without access to clean drinking water. For all of us, a drink of water is an afterthought – an excuse to stretch our legs, to socialize – yet every day, about 1,400 children die from diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. Fortunately, there's something practical we can do about it.

$30 can bring clean drinking water to someone in need.

If you're unfamiliar with charity: water and its mission, please watch this quick film – with a cameo by animated "me" (I help build the donation platform in my day job)!

Why water? https://www.charitywater.org/whywater/

100% of your donation will be used to build clean water projects, and when they’re complete, charity: water will send us photos and GPS coordinates so we can see the exact community we helped.

TL;DR Please give charity: water $28 (or more, or less) as a gesture of appreciation for my having completed another rotation around the Sun, and because it feels really good to know you're making a difference.