Sad rip-off of Lance bands

"Maggie" wrote in message

I give to charity and work for charities. Why do we have to
promote
charitable giving by inventing new gimmicks. Every year its
a pin or a
bracelet, another ribbon or a piece of string. Shouldn't
we just
give? I wonder if Mother Theresa wore a rubber band bracelet
or a
pretty pin when she fed the sick, dying and hungry.

This country is nuts with gimmicks if you ask me.

I agree with you, and try to give and work quietly. But that's
not the general way. All those buildings on campuses called
"The Joe Blow Hall of Science" are because Joe Blow wanted his
charity immortalized on a building name. Even Mother Theresa
wore a habit so that she was recognizable, and was willing to
be come a bit of a celebrity because it helped bring in
donations to help her poor.

Let's look at foundations: The Ford Foundation. The
Rockefeller Foundation. The Pew Charitable Trust. The John D
and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation. The Nobel Prize. The
Pulitzer Prize. All these serve to immortalize names.

The plastic bracelet is just a populist way of doing the same
thing. Lance is using his name to raise money for cancer.

But it wouldn't have quite the appeal if these bands just said
"Cancer" on them. Personalizing them allows us to identify
with a legitimately iconic figure of a cancer survivor who not
only lived, but prospered.

In article 1113064745.b8715dae6d91ba3f3a3a6aedf7c447be@teran ews,
"Mike Kruger" wrote:

"Maggie" wrote in message

I give to charity and work for charities. Why do we have to
promote
charitable giving by inventing new gimmicks. Every year its
a pin or a
bracelet, another ribbon or a piece of string. Shouldn't
we just
give? I wonder if Mother Theresa wore a rubber band bracelet
or a
pretty pin when she fed the sick, dying and hungry.

This country is nuts with gimmicks if you ask me.

I agree with you, and try to give and work quietly. But that's
not the general way. All those buildings on campuses called
"The Joe Blow Hall of Science" are because Joe Blow wanted his
charity immortalized on a building name. Even Mother Theresa
wore a habit so that she was recognizable, and was willing to
be come a bit of a celebrity because it helped bring in
donations to help her poor.

Let's look at foundations: The Ford Foundation. The
Rockefeller Foundation. The Pew Charitable Trust. The John D
and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation. The Nobel Prize. The
Pulitzer Prize. All these serve to immortalize names.

The plastic bracelet is just a populist way of doing the same
thing. Lance is using his name to raise money for cancer.

And bully for him.

But it wouldn't have quite the appeal if these bands just said
"Cancer" on them. Personalizing them allows us to identify
with a legitimately iconic figure of a cancer survivor who not
only lived, but prospered.

Exactly. 40 million LIVESTRONG bands have now been sold. This campaign
may eventually net more money for cancer research than Lance Armstrong
is actually worth. It may have done so already, if you count spinoff
effects, and not just the profit from band sales.

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.