Friends!

Do you have a minute? I've got something important to share!

Today is my 27th Birthday. As this day approached, I was thinking back to other birthdays and thinking about those familiar questions, "what gifts do I want?" , "what kind of party do I want?" , and "who do I want to spend my birthday with?"

What quickly became obvious the more I thought about my questions was how self-focused they truly were. I've had 26 birthdays before this one, all wonderful, but always focused on myself and what I was getting out of them. The truth is, I have the things I need, and more. I spend time with my family and friends regularly, and I'm blessed by their generosity and love every single day. I certainly don't need gifts or an extravagant party.

So today I'm asking all of you to help me celebrate my birthday in a different way. I'd like this birthday to be focused on "what can I give?" and "what can I ask my friends and family to give?"

Just over a year ago, I learned about charity:water. Charity:water is an organization with a bold mission: To end the water crisis.

Right now, 663 million people drink dirty water every day.

Let that sink in for a moment.

That's 663 million of our fellow brothers and sisters who deal with lugging jerry cans miles and miles to provide the day's water for their family, or face water-born disease and contamination, or simply go without.

But access to better water is possible, and when it occurs, everything changes for the individuals and families who are blessed with clean water, from health to education to lifting themselves from poverty.

That's where charity:water comes in. Since their inception, they have funded 29,725 water projects for 8.4 million people around the world. They're making an incredible difference.

And so can you and I.

This birthday, I'm not asking for gifts. I don't need a party. Instead, please consider making a donation to charity:water.

I've set a goal to raise $1,000. This amount will help charity:water bring clean water to over 30 people!

You'll find the button to donate below. Every little bit helps! If the most you can donate is a few dollars, that's just fine.

Thank you for reading this, and many thanks to those who have wished me a happy birthday!