Dear friends and fam, most of you already know I celebrate my birthday a little differently. I don't ask for presents or drinks or dinners (although some of you do those things for me anyway-and I am very grateful), I ask for change. I want people that think of their birthday as a day to receive, to be inspired to GIVE instead. It is the greatest gift. So I'm leading by example.

This is my third year in a row donating my birthday to Charity Water and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. Giving woman and children access to clean water is humbling. For years I spent 20mins or more in the shower, ran the water mindlessly as I brushed my teeth or washed the dishes and to this day I still walk by store fronts as they clean their streets with fresh drinking water, not recognizing how privileged I am-WE are.

Women and children around the world walk hours every day to collect water for their families. Water that can make them REALLY sick. The worst part for me is that it's likely that their water is contaminated by by-products of big business in the US. We do have the POWER to do something about it. Just $25 can give a person clean water to drink.

100% of the money raised will directly fund water projects around the world, and when those projects are complete, charity: water sends us photos and GPS coordinates so we can see the impact we made. Please watch "Blue Gold" here for inspiration http://www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com/
Also, if you want to understand more about how what/how we consume is contaminating the planet and sucking resources dry take a look at this "Story of Stuff" http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/
Last but not least, the song that inspired the title of this campaign "New World Water" by Mos Def (Yasin Bey) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXiX5R4q2FY
Please donate to my campaign, and make this the best birthday ever!