“Old broads don’t need stuff”

I have never been one to fret about getting older—each year gets better and better, plus there’s the annual promise of ice cream and cake—but even I admit that 50 is looming out there like a big, shadowy question mark. This year, my dear friend Colleen Wainwright is not only turning 50, she’s turning 50 into an opportunity to give back. Fifty-fold! (And not that this matters, but she doesn’t look a day over 12.)

Colleen launched 50 for 50, a brilliant idea to raise $50,000 in 50 days for Write Girl, an awesome nonprofit here in LA that helps young women become confident, articulate writers and authors. Right now, she’s about halfway to her goal, and almost halfway to her birthday, which means she needs YOU, Gelatobaby readers to donate. $50 is a nice round number because it will get you a ticket to Colleen’s birthday party, where she will—yes!—SHAVE HER HEAD.

As if you needed more reasons to support Colleen, consider this. As part of the project she’s also conducting a series of 50 interviews with 50 women writers, and today, she’s published my interview, which contains maybe the nicest introduction I’ve ever gotten for my work. She’s also recruited designers and writers to create desktop wallpapers with her favorite writing quotes as incentives (donate $15 and they’re yours!), and when I gave mine to her (above), she not only posted it on her own awesome blog, communicatrix, she wrote a poem about it. Which she will do for you when you donate $250 to 50 for 50.

If you plan to turn 50, or if you know someone who does, or if you believe in the power of writing, or if you believe the children are our future, or if you just want to watch a really funny 50-year-old person get her head shaved (hey, some people are into that stuff), please, please, head over to 50 for 50 and donate a little something to Colleen’s quest. And help spread the word. Like I’m going to do right now.