Have you ever said, "I'm dying of thirst?" If so, I bet you didn't really mean it.

If you're like me, you don't spend too much time thinking about water -- it's everywhere we go. When we're thirsty, we flip a handle or push a button. When we're dirty, we twist a shower knob. When our garden needs watering, when our pasta needs to be boiled, when we use the bathroom -- water is just there for the taking.

But for almost a billion people on the planet, it's not. Millions of women and children have to walk hours each day to get water from muddy ponds and rivers. And much of that water is infested with bacteria, parasites or leeches.

When I learned that only $25 can give someone access to clean, safe water, I decided to start a campaign to help. Our goal is to raise $5,000. $5,000 is the average amount of an entire water project. We will help provide clean water to about 250 people -- an entire community. If we achieve our goal, an Empire Avenue plaque will be installed at the site.

You don't have to be part of the social networking site Empire Avenue. However, if you are, you will receive a special achievement from Empire Avenue for doing so. In addition, I will buy and hold 600 shares of your stock with no requirement that you buy me back.

If on Empire Avenue, here's what you have to do:
- Donate at least $25.
- There are also achievements for $50, $100, $250, $500
- When you donate, your gift must be public. (List below)
- You must include your EAv ticker in the comments.
- You will receive your achievement in a few days.

charity: water will use 100% of the money to directly fund the water projects in the field. Even better, when the projects are complete, they'll show us just where our money went. That's right -- we'll be able to see the GPS coordinates, photos and other details about the community we've impacted!

I've never actually been dying of thirst. I'm sure we'd all like to see a world where no one does.

Together, we can make a dent in the global water crisis. I hope you'll join us.