June 12 would have been the 10th birthday of to raise money for fresh water in developing nations.
People are celebrating Rachel's 10th birthday with a new campaign for her on Charity:Water, the group for which Rachel asked for donations instead of birthday presents last year.
Rachel hoped to raise $300 for her ninth birthday on June 12, 2011. Sadly, a month after her ninth birthday, Rachel .
Her family and her church, .
Donations poured in and her story and campaign went viral on the Internet, with stories in national and international media such as the New York Times, CBS News and The Daily Mail.
Rachel also touched the life of a San Francisco Bay-area man, who told local reporters that he received one of her kidneys through organ donation.
On her 10th birthday, Rainworks Omnimedia, which produces traveling exhibitions for science museums and supports clean water and literacy programs, announced it named Rachel Beckwith its Rainmaker of the Year 2012 for the good work and donations she inspired through her birthday wish.
was slated to fund .
For Rachel's new campaign, her mother Samantha Paul wrote:
I am overwhelmed with gratitude and amazed by the outcome of Rachel's campaign for clean drinking water. I could never have imagined she would raise over 1 million dollars, yet it has become so much more. Throughout each day I look forward to reading your comments and hearing how Rachel's story has touched people all over the world. In this painful time, it has given me inspiration and comfort. Knowing that Rachel's decision to give up her 9th birthday will now help save thousands of people brings me to tears. I cannot thank you enough for your kind words, stories, individual fund raising efforts and most of all your outpouring of love. I am so proud to be a part of this ongoing campaign. I'm excited to be a part of its future and look forward to continuing on this path Rachel has laid before us. Thank you.
Samantha
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