Demi Lovato Celebrating Milestone Birthday in Kenya on a Me to We Trip

TORONTO, Ontario, Aug. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Singer-songwriter Demi Lovato is celebrating her 21^st birthday, today (Tuesday, August 20) in Kenya on a Me to We Volunteer Trip. Lovato invited close friends and family to share in her birthday celebration in the Maasai Mara Region of Kenya. By way of background, Me to We Trips offers life changing international volunteer experiences for youth, school groups, adults, families and corporations to destinations around the world, including Kenya, India and Ecuador.

Demi, her friends, and family, are currently visiting and volunteering in communities supported by Me to We's charity partner, Free The Children, spending much of their time getting to know the local students and working alongside local community members to help build a new Free The Children school. Culture highlights include a sunset Safari, a traditional beading session with artisan Maasai Mamas, and a customary water walk in which many young women her age endure in parts of Kenya, trekking for hours each day to collect water for their families.

"With 21 being a milestone birthday, I wanted a memorable and meaningful way to celebrate, rather than throw a big birthday bash," said Demi Lovato. "I knew traveling with Me to We and volunteering with Free The Children would give me the opportunity to have a life-changing experience I would never forget, with the people closest to me.  Also having worked with the organization over this past year it's been great to see first-hand the wonderful work that is being done as a result of all the incredible efforts of young people around the nation."

"Demi has been such a generous supporter of Free The Children. We couldn't be more excited to have her travel to Kenya this summer and celebrate her 21^st birthday with us," said Craig Kielburger, co-founder of Free The Children and Me to We. "On behalf of the entire team, Happy Birthday, Demi! As they say in Swahili, 'Asante Sana' for all of your generous support you continue to provide to our organization.  We hope this year is your best year yet!"

Demi has made special appearances and performed at Free The Children's stadium-sized youth empowerment and educational event, We Day. She has already raised more than $50,000 for Free The Children's international development projects through the DEMI LOVATO online Charity Boutique as well as through her celebrity guest appearance on the CBS game show, The Price is Right.

Access to some photos from Demi's trip to Kenya, here

About Me to We
Me to We is an innovative social enterprise that offers socially conscious products and services, including socially conscious and environmentally friendly clothes and accessories, as well as life-changing international volunteer trips, leadership training programs and materials, an inspirational speakers bureau, and books which address issues of positive social change. In addition, half of Me to We's net profit is donated to Free The Children, while the other half is reinvested to grow the enterprise and its social mission. Visit www.metowe.com for more information.

About Me to We Trips
Me to We trips opens a world of learning and adventure. Since inception in 1999, Me to We has sent thousands of young people overseas to volunteer, build cultural understanding, transform their own lives and help change the world. With year-round volunteer and leadership trips for youth and schools, Me to We trips also offers customized experiences for families and corporate groups. It's truly a global learning experience unlike any other.   More information on Me to We Trips can be found at www.metowe.com/volunteer-travel.

About Free The Children
Free The Children is an international charity and educational partner. Founded in 1995 by international activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children believes in a world where young people are free to achieve their fullest potential, and empowers youth to remove barriers that prevent them from being active local and global citizens. The organization's domestic programs—which includes We Day, Free The Children's signature youth empowerment event—educate, engage and empower 1.7 million young people across North America, the UK and around the world to become engaged global citizens. Its international projects have brought more than 650 schools and school rooms to youth and provided clean water and sanitation, health care and food security to one million people around the world, freeing children and their families from the cycle of poverty.

The organization has received the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non‐Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah's Angel Network. For more information, visit www.freethechildren.com

About Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato has had a truly amazing and life-changing few years.  Lovato started in show business as a child and rose quickly to fame. At fifteen, she was a bona fide TV star cultivating a promising singing career. In the late 2000s, while maintaining a rigorous TV and film shooting schedule, Lovato released two massively successful solo albums, Don't Forget (2007) and Here We Go Again (2009).  Her third studio album Unbroken(2011) was recently certified Gold.  The first single off Unbroken, "Skyscraper" has sold over 1,300,000 digital copies and has been officially certified Platinum in the U.S.  The second single, "Give Your Heart a Break" received critical acclaim from contemporary music critics, praising the production as well as Lovato's vocals, and has also achieved double-Platinum status in the U.S. with over 1,950,000 digital copies sold.  Her most recent album, Demi, released May 14, 2013, is Lovato's most personal album to date (as she co-wrote almost every track), and is an affirming celebration of life and her experiences thus far.  It is no surprise that it is already showing signs of being her most successful album yet.  The first single, "Heart Attack" achieved Platinum status in North America within just 10 weeks of it's release. The video for the single is VEVO Certified, which means it has over 100 million views - a first for Demi!  Lovato also returns as a judge for a second season of The X Factor in fall 2013. With all of her professional accomplishments, Lovato remains devoted to giving back. By talking openly about her personal experiences, she has become a role-model for many, speaking out against bullying among other issues.  She also serves as an official Ambassador for the youth empowerment event We Day and the organization Free the Children, which works domestically and internationally to empower young people to remove barriers that prevent them from being active local and global citizens.

Demi Lovato Press Contact:
Jesse Derris and Angela Burke at Derris & Company
[email protected] // [email protected]

Free The Children and Me to We Press Contact:
Tamara Kaftalovich, Free The Children
[email protected]

SOURCE Free The Children

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