It’s August 1.
My birthday is 60 days away.
I will turn 34 on October 1.
(Pssst! Click on that link there to donate!)
Why am I doing this?
This Charity:Water video popped up in my Facebook feed and it struck a chord. I don’t usually pay attention to videos that land in my newsfeed because I prefer an authentic approach and many are not authentic.
But the way this one started, it didn’t take long for me to realize the approach was raw and real and the way the dots were connected, I couldn’t just not try to help out.
TL;DW (because 20 minutes): Scott was raised in a loving home, by his mom and dad. Everything changed when his mother became sick due to a carbon monoxide gas leak, which means the roles reversed in the home and he became the caretaker along with his dad. Fast-forward to when Scott turned 18 and he essentially rebelled. That rebellion stage lasted for 10 years. One day, overnight, he changed his way of life, and by a stroke of chance, someone gave him an opportunity. That opportunity turned into him stepping foot in Libera -a country in Africa.
The purpose behind the video: he explained how he found himself at rock bottom and he was searching for a purpose. In the purpose he found, he noticed there was (and still is) a bigger issue at stake. That issue? Solving a problem where having access to a basic need can literally change and save lives. That basic need? Water.
That's how he founded of Charity:Water
Within the video at the 10:40-marker Scott explains
how 100% of the proceeds go directly to a water project.
Scott set this charity up so that the overhead costs are in a separate bucket of money. He was serious about making a dent in the universe and getting people access to clean water and I'm serious about seeing if I can even make a ripple effect with this campaign.
This is a charity I trust and it's why I'm running a minimum of 3 miles every day for the next 60 days to raise $3,400.
That amount will give clean water to 112 people.
That means for about 25-30 minutes a day, I will pound the pavement with my feet even when I don’t feel like it. (I'm just being honest because I'm a human and I know this won't be easy.) But running compared to what these families are doing to fetch dirty water is nothing compared to the illnesses they're contracting.
When you donate, it could take up to 21 months (see under "Mapping Our Impact" section) for you to see the results of your donated dollars. I don't quite know how I'll get this information to you, but Charity:Water will send both of us confirmation of where the money went. I know this because I've donated to two Charity:Water campaigns and you can see those here and here.
Want to run with me? Let me know what day you'd like to run.
How can you track my miles? Go here to see my mileage via RunKeeper.
Here's a short video explaining how your donation will be a part of the solution and a better tomorrow for the 112 people I'm running for.
I'm throwing myself a little birthday party (details are pending), even though my birthday lands on a Monday. The best part about that though? I was born on a Monday.
That said, donate today. Thank you.