All of my birthdays have always been about stuff. Stuff I don't want, stuff I definitely don't need. And to be honest, I hardly even remember what I got last year.

So this year, I'm giving my birthday up.

I'm turning 40 years old, and instead of asking for gifts, I'm asking for $40 or more from everyone I know. It's not going to me, though. All of it is going to build freshwater wells for people in developing nations.

When I went to Rwanda, Africa a year ago - I witnessed first hand hundreds of people walking for hours only to fetch unclean water. Children carrying big, heavy plastic buckets back of contaminated water to their families. It was heartbreaking and a strong dose of reality. We take for granted that we have clean, healthy water. Even our homeless people have access to clean water in this country.

I remember a particularly eye-opening moment on my mission trip when I offered my sponsored child, Yvonne, a bottle of water. She had a high fever and we were waiting to get her to the hospital (later diagnosed and treated for Malaria). She took one little sip and stopped. I tried to encourage her to drink more, but the translator said she is not used to that much water, let alone clean and cold water. It was such a shock to see first hand that this sweet young child was not familiar with something so basic to us: clean water.

A billion people in the world are living without clean water - but how much are they really living? Millions contract deadly diseases from contaminated water. 45,000 people will die this week alone. The lucky ones won't, but still walk hours each day to get dirty water to give to their families.

My birthday wish this year is not for more gifts I don't need; it's to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billion living without it. I want to make my birthday matter this year.

Please join me!!! Give the greatest give of all - clean water...which will leads to big smiles.

please note: Because of charity: water's unique model, 100% of all donations go directly to direct water projects costs, and each donation is "proved" and tracked to the village it helped when projects are complete.