Sporting A Cause

Monthly Archives: November 2018

Giving Tuesday and beyond

 

Giving Tuesday, 2018 is now in the books, and it promises to be the most successful one yet.

The idea was born in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Fund, to create a counter measure to the ultra consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And it has worked. In 2017 thousands of businesses and non-profits as well as millions of people joined forces to donate $274 million to worthy causes in one day! This is the giving time of year after all, and we responded.

But what about the rest of the season, and year for that matter? Need persists throughout the year, not just around the holidays. Well, as impressive as the $274 mil is for that one- day effort, we Americans combined to give over $400 billion (yes, billion) over the past year to our favorite causes. And, after we had donated as much as our budgets allowed, we each volunteered four to six hours a week to those causes.

Yes, Americans are the most philanthropic citizens on earth. I think it safe to say that we would all give more if we could. Well here are a couple things you can do this holiday season to help worthy causes while doing what you’d be doing anyway:

Buying holiday cards to send to friends and family? Consider UNICEF cards. All of the profits from your purchase will help fund UNICEF programs for children in need around the world.

You’ll need stamps for those cards, right? Consider buying Breast Cancer, Vanishing Species or the recently- released Alzheimer’s stamps instead of the usual Christmas-themed ones. They will cost you 15 cents more per stamp ($3 more per sheet of 20) to support research and work for those non-profits. But don’t think those extra pennies won’t make a difference. The Breast cancer stamps have raised $88.9 million for research so far!

Another idea- a kind of “pure play” gift for the friend who has everything. Make a donation to a charity that is dear to your friend’s heart in his/her name. It may well be the most touching gift they receive this year.

And here is just one more idea for holiday shopping that perhaps tops them all. Do as much of your holiday shopping as possible in-town, locally. These business owners in turn , support local charities, including the sports-related fundraisers found in sportingAcause.

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NASCAR Dave has left the building

NASCAR Dave has left the building.

The final broadcast of NASCAR Dave MacMillan’s Hometown Sunday Morning Show on WHDD Radio this past week ended a career that spanned 25 years.

But what he managed to accomplish over that distance is the real story here.

If you follow the arc of Dave’s life, you’ll find a blueprint of what the average working man can achieve in his lifetime.

Starting 25 years ago with a 15 minute radio show to talk about NASCAR racing, Dave, along with his wife Chris and a couple radio cohorts, scraped together two Thanksgiving dinners for local families in need. Dave understood hunger- he’d experienced it himself as a young man.

” When you go to sleep hungry, you wake up hungry,” Dave said, ‘I never forgot that”.

Over time the show grew to three hours at Robinhood Radio and the Sunday in the Country Food Drive grew as well- this year 500 turkey dinners will find their way into deserving Tri-State homes this Thanksgiving. To date, the organization has raised over $300,000 and still counting.

But Dave’s service to community didn’t end with the Food Drive. He used his show to promote uncountable fundraisers throughout his listening area- firemen’s breakfasts, Veteran’s causes, Walks for Alzheimer’s , sports-related fundraisers and much more. No charity was too small for Dave to shed light upon. He made each cause important. During his last broadcast Sunday, as well- wishers were calling in a steady stream, Dave reminded listeners that there was still time to catch the local pancake breakfast.

By week’s end, Dave and Chris will be at their new home in Florida. The Sunday morning show will continue under a different format, and Dave has left the Sunday in the Country Food Drive in capable hands. In these parts, life will certainly continue without Dave and Chris, just not quite as well.

Besides leaving an unmatchable legacy of community service, Dave leaves behind some lessons and inspiration for those who have been paying attention: Always remember where you came from. Understand the importance of giving back. Always acknowledge those who have helped you along the way. And, maybe most significantly, see how much one “average” man can accomplish in a lifetime.

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Sharing Gratitude

Where does the time go!

With just over two weeks until the holiday, here are three Thanksgiving Day morning running options for you, one in each state.

The Ferncliff Forest 5K Turkey Trot in Rhinebeck, NY, helps pay for the upkeep and programs at Ferncliff Forest- race time is 8 am.

The Goshen Turkey Trot in Goshen, CT is a 10K race which benefits a variety of community charities- race time is 9 am. Donuts and cider afterwards but save room for later.

And the Thankful 5K , organized by the Berkshire Running Center runs in downtown Pittsfield, MA. Proceeds from this race benefit Autism Connections- race time is 8 am. All three events will kick off early enough to get you home in plenty of time to restore those depleted calories. Get all the details for these and other events here at sportingAcause.com.

William Arthur Ward said that “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not sharing it.” I hope that this Thanksgiving, and throughout the year, you take the time to share your gratitude with those who deserve it.

Happy Thanksgiving

Willie

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