Having a birthday on New Year's Eve isn't all it's cracked up to be. People always ask me, "isn't it great that everyone celebrates your birthday with you?". Not really, I typically pout that it isn't "MY SPECIAL DAY".

Well this year is going to be different, I don't want more stuff, stuff I definitely don't need. And to be honest, I am actually trying to get rid of most of my stuff.

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

I'm turning 36 years old, yes I'm old, and instead of asking for gifts, I'm asking for $36 or more from everyone I know. It's not going to me, though. All of it is going to build freshwater wells for people in developing nations.

My birthday wish this year is to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billion people living without it. I want to make my birthday matter this year.

Please join me.

please note: Because of charity: water's unique model, 100% of all donations go directly to direct water projects costs, and each donation is "proved" and tracked to the village it helped when projects are complete.