The Billabong Design for Humanity Event was my first official night out in L.A – and it was an amazing night! The event was a mix of fashion, music and art, and was all done for the simplest cause ever – charity: water, a non-profit organization that provides clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. “Since the charity: water launch in 2008, enough money has been raised to begin the development of 1,247 water projects in 14 developing nations,” says Billabong. Once completed, the projects will provide more than 665,000 people with clean, safe water. Charity: water spreads the word about the world’s water crisis through interactive outdoor shows, online media, indoor exhibits and educational programs. Fun fact: right now, 1.1 billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe water. That’s 1 in 6 of us. Another fun fact: only $20 can can give one person in a developing nation clean water for 20 years.

According to charity: water:

“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 helps by engaging the local communities in the well-drilling process. This lowers labor costs, encourages community participation and ensures community ownership after the project is complete. This is an amazing organization.

Another way charity: water helps? By hosting insane fashion shows, art shows and concerts like Design for Humanity! This event was held at The Avalon in Hollywood and had 3 events during the night: a silent-auction art show (showing some killer edgy art), a fashion show showing Billabong’s latest swimwear (um…sexy? yes!), and, last, an insane concert featuring The Airborne Toxic Event and Iglu & Hartly. Not to mention the amazing dj that rocked phat beats during the night – my legs are now on fire from the massive amount of rug that was being cut. The only down side?? $10 drinks…ouch. But hey, it was for a good cause. Count me in for next year!

Above: Yours truly on the left, my model-esque badass homie, Jo, on the right

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