Sometimes our decisions about donating don’t even seem to be driven
by values or potential impact ….but by celebrities and the entertainment
value of the fundraising campaigns they endorse. Look no further than
the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The feel-good campaign works like this:
you film yourself throwing a bucket of ice over your head, post it to
social media, and then challenge your friends to either do the same or
donate £100 to the ALS Association, which works to end Lou Gehrig’s
disease.
Sure, the ice-bucket brigade has raised “awareness” about ALS, and no
doubt lots of money as well. But there must be a better way to
accomplish the same thing without encouraging people to do a little
pretend suffering—whether that means pouring a bucket of cold water over
your head, or running a 10K race or taking on some other physical
inconvenience—when it’s the people being helped who know all too well
what real suffering is.
The ice-bucket challenge is a gentle and well-intended little game of
pay-or-dare, and I admire the good humor and neighborly spirit
involved. Still, I wonder about the true nature of this “challenge.” Do I
prove something about myself by rising to it? Is it better to fill a
bucket or ? If I wrote a cheque but told no one, would others think less
of me? Absolutely not.
Here’s my CHALLENGE to you…go donate to a charity, this one or ANY
charity you feel passionate about. Not because you want to dump cold
water over your head and have everyone clap you on the back and ‘Like’
you; but because you WANT to….Oh, and the most important part of that
challenge~DON’T tell anyone, don’t look for Thanks, just know that you
helped and let that be enough. I promise you, the Blessings are the
same.
Rose Nude from Nizz Cosmetics
