Pull together for change.

The New York Times had a great story yesterday about Katherine Commale. She's the seven-year-old girl who with her mother and little brother's help raised $43,000 for the Nothing But Nets campaign against malaria. She's a great example of someone who saw a need and found a way to contribute to the solution.

The nice thing is that most everyone can find a way to motivate their family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, classmates, and others to contribute to a good cause. Here are two more examples:

* Eric's 25 for Angel's Place - Eric Gamble has pledged to lose 25 pounds in support of the New Orleans charity Angel's Place which "provides a loving and caring environment for children diagnosed with life-threatening illness." Sponsors are asked to pledge $1 per pound in support of his efforts.

* The 2wheels4water is a project by Alison and Tim Lowry. They are riding a Vespa moped through North and South Carolina to raise money for clean water projects around the world. Sponsors are asked to pledge per mile. "Every mile driven on a moped costs just 3.5 cents. Every mile in a typical car costs about 17.5 cents. We’re asking you to pledge the difference: 14 cents for every mile we cover."

These are just three examples of how everyday people, people just like you and me, are making a difference by motivating those they know to pull together for change. What will you do to support the causes you care about?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do." - Mark Twain