Give clean water to someone who could only dream of having access to freely dump it on their head.

We've all seen the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos by now. Dump a bucket of ice water on your head and donate $10 to ALS; or if you don't want to dump water on your head, donate $100 to ALS. It's been a great viral fundraiser and, having lost a family member to ALS, we certainly support donations to the cause.

However, seeing video after video of people dumping clean ice water on their heads, we can't help but think back to our trips to Africa and Haiti. Seeing women and children carrying 40 lb. jerry cans filled with dirty water from a river miles away from their home. Seeing children drink from dirty puddles in the street.

We think about our son's losses of his first mother and two of his siblings to waterborne illnesses, and of the months of treatment after we brought him to America to rid his little body of the parasites that had taken up residence there during the 4.5 years that he lived in Ethiopia.

** 780 million people lack access to clean water.

** Around 700,000 children die every year from diarrhea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation – that's almost 2,000 children a day.

** An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.

To help change these statistics, we have a new challenge for each of you. Send your $10 to ALS, but instead of dumping a bucket of ice water on your head, donate another $10 (or more) to provide clean water to those around the world who don't currently have it. If you've already dumped water on your head, it's not too late to donate and give someone else access to clean water to drink.

Challenge your friends and families to also donate. Donate to those who can only dream about being able to fill a bucket with clean water at their home and dump it on their head.

http://youtu.be/A2zJ6NZXkzQ

#CleanWaterChallenge
#GiveWaterDontDumpIt
#CharityWater

100% of everything we raise will directly fund water projects. And when those projects are finished, charity: water will send us proof in pictures and GPS coordinates, so we can see the actual people and communities we impacted.