breathe in, laugh out

Ok herrreeeeee we go… it’s opinion time.  I try to keep most opinions to myself (wait…)

This ice bucket challenge to create awareness for ALS is creating so much social media buzz.  What’s blowing my mind, though is that much of this buzz is negative.

“You’re dumping ice on your head so you DON’T have to donate to ALS???”

Oh, good point, my friends, good point.  Donations to a cause are always helpful.  But let me ask you this… how is anyone participating in this stunt negatively affecting ALS?

I’ll tell you how:  they’re not.  They may not be directly assisting the cause by contributing in a monetary way, but they’re doing what this challenge calls for, and creating awareness in some way, shape, or form.

One thing I agree with… we shouldn’t be doing this challenge in LIEU of a donation.  This challenge causes for ice to be dumped on our heads OR a $100 donation.  Here’s my take.  Dump the damn water on your head… but please get the water from a lake, a bay, an ocean, even a freakin’ pool.  Some of us are in a drought, and other friends on the other side of the world struggle to survive without clean drinking water…. but ALSO, do what you can in the form of a donation.  Does it need to be $100?  I think not.  Does it need to even go to ALS??  That would be wonderful, being that’s what this challenge is for, but let’s look at the greater picture.  This challenge is a call to action to wake us up (in a very literal sense), and push us towards awareness and generosity of a special cause.

Here’s what set me off today and made me run for my laptop to get this off my chest.  It’s a Huffington Post article  titled:  “#IceBucketChallenge:  Why You’re Not Really Helping.”  And although this article may have made some good points, this is what made my blood boil:

“And although the ALS Association has seen as much as four times as many donations during this time period than last year, just imagine with me for one second: What if the thousands of people who spent money on buying one or two2 bags of ice actually gave that money to ALS? It would be out of control.”

Wait…. let’s hear that again…  “And although the ALS Association has seen as much as four times as many donations during this time period than last year…”

Ummmm… HELLO!!!!!!!!  FOUR TIMES as many donations!  Kudos!  Kudos to the man who began this challenge.  Kudos to everyone who participated, and continues to participate.  Kudos to the silly videos, and kudos to the donations, big or small that have rolled in.  You’ve all positively contributed to a cause.

Let’s continue using social media for positive things.  What if for every photo of our lunches we posted, we contributed one dollar to the charity of our choice… like O…M…G!!!!!

And OMG, my only tweek to this (I almost said twerk), would be to recycle water instead of getting it from our sinks or hoses.  But hey… keep on doing what you’re doing.  Silliness creates awareness… silliness creates donations.  Just please pair your donations with the silliness.

xoxo

Gossip Girl