Millions of people walk miles to drink dirty water from a mud hole. I want to change that for one community.

I read this article in Relevant Magazine. You can read it too!
http://issuu.com/relevant/docs/novdec2008/63

To sum up the article, millions of people die of preventable diseases simply because they don't have clean drinking water. We walk 15 feet to get clean water out of the tap. They walk miles to drink mud-slop. $20 buys clean water for one person for 20 years. $6,000 buys a well for an entire village.

So here's the deal. In honor of my 35th birthday coming up, I am forgoing (read: sacrificing) all of my many gifts that people usually bestow upon me in celebration of my birth. I want to buy/sponsor a well. Instead of the hundreds of dollars in gifts most of you typically buy me, what I ask from you instead is $35 (since it's my 35th birthday.) I need to collect $35 from 170 people in order to raise enough money for a well. And I'm really counting on you guys. So I'm asking for $35 from each of you. (and maybe from your significant others as well.) Give me $35. If you want to send me a check or cash, that's cool. If you want to paypal it to me, that's cool too. Give me a call if you want to chat about this. I'm planning on asking church folks, other teachers, my students, all those jerks on facebook, and my family. I'm hoping I can tap into enough contacts to find 170 people willing to donate.

Again, send me money. I want $35 (or more) because I need to collect $6,000 and that is a lot of money. (I don't really feel like being diplomatic about this whole thing.) Think of the children and don't make Baby Jesus cry.

-Bruns

P.S. Gimme $35.
P.P.S. This might all sound familiar, since I asked for $30 from you 5 years ago for my 30th birthday. Thanks for giving 5 years ago. (Truly.) Now I want $35 more.
P.P.P.S. Next year you can go back to buying me lots of regular birthday presents. I like Legos.
P.P.P.P.S. My wife said people won't give me money unless I sound more polite. So PLEASE gimme $35.