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Buckets and Runs

Sounds like a diarrhea epidemic.  Far from it.  Running has been the quintessential way of garnering money for charitable causes in the USof A for decades.  'Run for a cause' or as we more recently discovered 'dump a bucket of something over your head' and somehow extract people's money have been making more and more headlines.

Ever since someone dreamt up the idea that we can ask people to pay for participating in an exercise (literally and whatever) involving a running race, charities all over the country have piled on.  The more people that join the more money is raised for a cause tagged to the mission statement by the race organizers.

Notice how the act of running got tied to an organizer and that in turn got tied to some branding that ties into a charity that you may or may not recognize.

Okay so as far as raising money for a cause I get it.  But what I never got was the idea to tie that event to a race and also get some corporate visibility while at it.  I mean race if you want to race which in itself is another question mark in my dull mind.  I mean who races?  I know its rhetorical.   Rather I ask why race?  What does it prove if anything and to whom?  People that partake in such adventures on a regular basis much like someone with diarrhea would visit the facilities will tell you that there is great energy in the air and all that.  I have been to one such event.  I can see there is energy and people have a good time but the whole idea of being in a massive crowd for over an hour, having lived in erstwhile Bombay is not fun.

People are gassing, coughing and what not all around while you willingly stand/walk/jog/run rubbing shoulders with a guy with BO?  Fun, I think not.  If you have extra coinage burning holes in the pocket just drop it off at a place you think deserves to get it and go run laps in your local park.  Creating traffic nightmares for others because you believe this is the cause to run for does not a sound idea make.

This whole concept keeps evolving with more crazy ideas that pop each year with some well known names participating in it just to keep the crowds happy.  Dropping bucket full of ice cubes on your noggin was another retarded concept that recently made an appearance stateside.  Someone died attempting it - that made the news of course.

People all over were suddenly occupying space on the internet posing and posting with ice buckets.  I mean instead of being seen at the bar having a jolly good time with an ice bucket you now have drinkers and non drinkers with the cold stuff getting dumped on them - willingly!

Next  up - Food throwing contest at your favorite Michelin star restaurant - I mean the folks that chow at such establishments certainly have money burning holes somewhere?  Why not make it a fun night and smack your server with that apple pie you really do not want for dessert?

Comments

  1. racy indeed..birthday parties out here have already turned into face-painting-with-cake contests!

    ReplyDelete

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