September Birthdays

I am sitting here watching the US Open and they are honoring several athletes that have started foundations and are out doing amazing things with their celebrity status. Since it is a tennis tournament it is not shocking that their final honoree is Andre Agassi. As you may know, he started a charter school in Las Vegas and is working hard to improve education for children labeled “at risk.” Andre said that he believes “that caring by definition means doing.” How true. One of the many benefits of this adoption journey is the education we have received on the many organizations that are DOING great work in Africa. In June, I highlighted Mocha Club and was so touched when several of my friends went out and ordered t-shirts to benefit Mocha Club.

A little over a week ago, I learned about Charity: Water on Tam’s blog. The founder of Charity: Water, Scott Harrison, was born in September and a few years ago decided to throw a party and have everybody bring $20. They took the money that was raised at his birthday party and put it towards funding wells in Uganda. Did you know that a billion people in the world don’t have clean drinking water?! I had no clue and I know I take my clean water for granted on a daily basis. So on the eve of my September birthday I thought Charity: Water was the appropriate organization to blog about. Two years ago Scott gave up his birthday again and Charity: Water raised $150,000 and built wells in Kenya. Last September they raised $1 million dollars and helped build wells in Ethiopia! They served over 50,000 people! Maybe some of my future child’s relatives were able to benefit? What is crazy to me is that Scott Harrison is only one year older than I am and look at what he has done in his 33 years. It is another wake up call to me that the best way to survive this wait is to get out and DO. I have found in the past that when I am able to get outside myself and actually contribute to something bigger and more meaningful then I always end up feeling better and less anxious about the day to day happenings of my life. I certainly have not been a great example the past couple of years of volunteering my time so I hope to start changing that over the next few months.

Check out Scott’s latest video.

The story of charity: water - The 2009 September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

Do you have one of those favorite stories that your parents tell you about your childhood? I am reminded of one of mine as I sit here and watch Venus play about when my parents first brought me home from the hospital. I was their first child so they really had no idea what to expect. They came home to their New York apartment and basically did what they normally would and turned on the US Open. They watched tennis and they watched me. They watched tennis and they watched me. So my mom says every year when the US Open rolls around she is reminded of just watching me and having no clue what to do. It is such a simple story but I never get tired of hearing it. I am pleased and find it so appropriate that on the opening night of the US Open this year Andre Agassi spoke to the crowd about DOING. Here’s to my 32^nd year to be filled with lots of doing! Cheers!