The Tap Project: Drink Up

Did you know a child dies from thirst (or water-related disease) about every 15 seconds? Or that lack of clean water is the second-largest killer of kids under 5?

I didn't. And honestly, I'm not that nice a person, so when Sally Struthers types get all uppity about people suffering, I'm not always that sympathetic. But I got a nice, cold glass of clean water right here next to me, like you probably do, and I didn't think a blink about filling it up. My guess is you didn't either.

Last year, a grassroots initiative called the Tap Project was born in New York, where it raised about $100,000 by asking the city's restaurant patrons to donate $1 to the Tap Project for the tap water they normally get for free during the week leading up to World Water Day (always March 22). The money is funneled to UNICEF, where each buck means 40 days' worth of clean water for a kid somewhere.

Tap Project Seattle launches this week, which means you can get in on the action, too.

One of the 100-plus participating Seattle restaurants must be near you. Go. Eat out. Drink lots of water, and pay for it.