Tuesdays Tips

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This week’s Tuesdays Tip has nothing to do with fashion.

This tip has is a tip for helping others gain access to a something we all take for granted: clean drinking water.  It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but waterborne illnesses kill more people, and more children, every year than any type of violence – including war.  Those are some big numbers, gentlemen.

Arbitrage is proud to work with charity : water, a not-for-profit organization who’s sole mission is to bring clean drinking water to everyone that doesn’t have it – over a billion people.  Say that out loud: “More than one billion people don’t have clean water”.

Here’s what charity : water has to say on their website, because I can’t say it any better than they already did:

Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Many people in the developing world, usually women and children, walk more than three hours every day to fetch water that is likely to make them sick. Those hours are crucial, preventing many from working or attending school. Additionally, collecting water puts them at greater risk of sexual harassment and assault. Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of unsafe water.  Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old.

charity : water held it’s annual charity : ball last night at the Metropolitan Pavilion, and Arbitrage was lucky enough to be on the guest list.  And the evening was inspiring, to say the least.  Through a silent auction, live auction, and sponsor-backed activities, charity : water raised over one million dollars, and reached their goal of bringing clean drinking water to one million people since the organization began three years ago!  Amazing.

The live auction, let me tell you, was enough to restore anyone’s faith in humanity.  People, without hesitation, giving thousands of dollars to give clean water to people they’ll never meet, in a faraway place that they’ll never visit- because it’s the right thing to do.  And I’m not talking tossing a dollar bill into a bin- I’m talking writing a check for $50,000.  $20,000.  $10,000.  $5,000.  Several times over.  Awe-inspiring, believe me.

And for those of you saying, “oh I can’t afford to give, I don’t have $50,000 to give away”: I don’t have $50,000 to give away, either.  But, all of us can sit in our nice, clean, beautifully furnished homes and go out to dinner and go out partying with our friends.  And if all of us can give up one of those nights, one of those expensive dinners, and instead put that money toward something that will save hundreds of lives for decades- don’t you think that’s a bit more worthwhile than a night at the bars that only lasts a few hours?(Plus, there’s no hangover from giving, nor empty calories and Taco Bell cravings.)

So this week Tuesdays Tip is this: do something simple, so others may simply live.  Go to charitywater.org, and learn what you can do, and make a contribution- just $25 can give a person clean drinking water for 20 years.  Let that sink in, and then go do your part.  It’s easy, easier than you’d think, and does more than you can imagine.

And for you cynics reading this, you can easily finish your holiday shopping with charity : water – gifts for everyone on your list, and 100% of the proceeds goes directly to funding freshwater wells in underprivileged countries.  Only looking for yourself?  Our charity : water tie was worn last night by charity : water founder Scott Harrison, and host Adrian Grenier.  And they both looked awesome with it.  So if that doesn’t bring you around, I guess I just lost a bet, and the Grinch really does read our blog.  I’ll go find Cindy-Lou Who for you, then.