All Eliza Dushku Wants for Her Birthday is Donations

Actress Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is tweeting up a storm this week, trying to get the media and any individual with leftover Christmas money to support her 30th birthday charity cause. By December 30th, the Boston native is hoping to raise $30,000 for the construction of a rehabilitation center for former child soldiers in Uganda.

Host website Tonic.com is the good news, good endeavors hub launched by Island Records and tropical resort magnate Chris Blackwell. Dushku’s social media campaigning is paying off. Media coverage in the past few days has included WENN.com, CeleBuzz.com and others, while the tote board total is now quickly rising.

Dushku was moved towards this unusual birthday celebration by a July 2009 trip to Uganda with boyfriend Rick Fox and her Suffolk University professor-mom. Per the Tonic.com article:

What especially touched Dushku, she says, is “what you learn about forgiveness. We get so resentful and we hold grudges over so many trivial things. To be able to forgive someone who macheted your entire family and to live as neighbors, that’s amazing.”

Kudos to Dushku for setting a great celebrity example this holiday season. At press time, donations had climbed to $18,450.00, with the actress also separately auctioning off a live video chat.

Update – 12/30/10: With a Twitter assist from Kevin Smith, Dushku has reached her December 30th birthday goal of $30,000 raised.