sarahcentric

If I was throwing a party to celebrate my 33rd birthday next Sunday, I would definitely book that charming wooded glen. Look how peaceful and content I was! I didn’t want for anything, except a little more hair.

In birthdays past, certain requirements had to be met to make the day special. One year, I made my mother frost the box birthday cake with 50% chocolate frosting and 50% vanilla, convinced this was enough to make it taste exactly like my beloved Black & White cookies. (That slice at the birthday cake equator was sweeeeet!) One year we marked the occasion with an elegant lunch at McDonald’s with friends followed by a screening of “The Care Bear Movie”. (The film can only be fully appreciated with a belly full of McNuggets.) When my 21st birthday came around, I bought the keg and drank Labatts out of red plastic cups with my six college roommates. (I only slipped once, and it had nothing to do with the beer. I’m sure it was the Chinese slippers I was wearing…very hip at the time.)

But what to do for the Big 33? What could possibly top Black & Whites, Labatts and the Care Bear Stare?! There is only one thing…

Plumpy’nut.

President-elect Obama, (who I’m praying will adopt me someday), has reminded us that Martin Luther King day is a national day of service. So beginning today and leading all the way up to my birthday, January 25th, I will be raising money for my very favorite charity in the world; Project Peanut Butter. Project Peanut Butter produces and distributes a therapeutic peanut butter called Plumpy’nut to severely malnourished children in Malawi and Sierra Leone.

That’s the most boring, barely scientific explanation of how miraculous Plumpy’nut really is. But trust me, like Ron Burgundy Plumpy’nut is kind of a big deal. Here is the 60 minutes piece that introduced me to the product with the best name for anything, ever. Watch this and marvel like I did at the ridiculously simple, peanut-y brilliance of Plumpy’nut.

Mardi Manary, who co-founded Project Peanut Butter with her husband Dr. Mark, sounds like that friend of your Mom who calls looking for a new recipe. She’s the friend your Mom used to country line dance with on the first Friday of every month, back when that was popular. Mardi is like anybody else…anybody who chooses to do extraordinary things.

“Well, Mark and I decided to volunteer in Africa for a few months right after we were married. We figured hey, we’re going to be pretty comfortable since he’s doctor and I’m a nurse. Why not volunteer a little?”

But when they came face to face with the insane poverty and hunger in Africa, they dropped everything and stayed for years to do whatever they possibly could. While Mardi raised a family in Africa, Mark worked with other doctors to develop Plumpy’nut.

“That’s pretty much the story. So you live in New York City? Your job sounds fun!”

I’m sure most people have a more domestic agenda for a National Day of Service. But I’m sure we can agree that the Manarys are an amazing American family. They weren’t called to action by some spectacular vision from beyond. The Manarys saw a need, rolled up their sleeves, and have been saving lives ever since. Why shouldn’t they be the guests of honor at my 33rd birthday party?!

So here’s how this is going to work. I’ve set up a safe, secure, sexy ChipIn account where you can donate any amount of cash to Project Peanut Butter. Every dollar counts, goes to making Plumpy’nut and will be greatly appreciated. But let me throw some numbers out there for you to consider…

$15-provides a full treatment of Plumpy’nut for one child
$33-”Oh, you donated one dollar for each year of my glorious life?! How charming, thank you!”
$50-pays wages of local worker at Plumpy’nut factory. Yeah, don’t worry. Plumpy’nut means jobs, too.
$1125-This is enough to save all the vulnerable children in THREE VILLAGES. As you can see on the ChipIn counter, that’s my birthday wish.

I know that times is tough right now, friends. For realsies, any donation is amazing. But I do have one favor to give away that I’m hoping will bring more people to the party… another Graham Cracker Coffee giveaway!

1) Donate any amount to the Plumpy’nut Birthday party via my ChipIn account.
2) Then take it to the next level. Use your own blog to tell the world how wonderful, amazing and charitable you are by donating to Project Peanut Butter. And, of course, link up to this Sarahcentric entry.
3) When your blog shout-out is complete come back here to THIS ENTRY and comment with a link back to your blog. (Just one comment per entry, please.)

Once I’ve matched your blog up to the donation on ChipIn, you will be entered to win the most delicious coffee known to man. Remember, you are in the running if you both donate AND shout it out. The giveaway begins now and closes the day after my birthday, 1/26 at 7pm.

Ok, it’s awwwwwwwn, people. Let’s get this Plumpy’nut Party started! Where’s my Miami Sound Machine CD? Ooo, better yet let’s listen to Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam…then DeBarge!