By now if you haven't seen the ALS ice bucket challenge you must have been on an exotic island with zero cell phone service or internet access. So A) welcome back and B) invite me next time.
The viral social media campaign has gone all over the world, raised MILLIONS and watered untold amounts of small grassy spots in lawns and sidewalks. Listen I have no problem with someone who wants to dump a bucket of ice over their head for charity. It's 110° here in Alabama, a bucket of ice on my head would be a welcome relief.
My issue is that it takes something like a viral FB/Twitter/Instagram ploy to get people to pay attention to anything. I wonder how many of these people that took the water to the head even know anything about ALS.
Did they Google it? Did they check out The American ALS Association ? Or did they just follow like little lost lambs and never even know about this horrid disease and how it can literally suck the life out of someone slowly and cruelly.
Well I do. I watched it happen to a precious lady not too long ago. We lost my husband's grandmother to this evil disease and we have been donating to ALS every since. I am glad you are now AWARE but why does it take something like ice water on the head of celebrities to make you sit up and notice?
Did you know that last year 20,000 foster children aged out of the system, alone, uncared for, unfunded simply because they turned 18.
Did you know that every minute of EVERY...SINGLE.... DAY 2 children are sold into slavery of some kind? CHILDREN!!!
Did you know every major circus that uses animals has been cited for violating the minimal standards of care set by the United States Animal Welfare?
Did you know that 1 in every 285 children in the US alone will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20?
No? You didn't know any of those things? Well now you are AWARE and now you can do something about it. No don't pick up an ice bucket........
Pick up a pen and write a check to a foundation trying to fight childhood cancer in your area. Pick up the phone and volunteer at your local Humane Society. Use they keyboard and type a letter to your State Reps and demand harsher penalties for known human trafficking offenders. Just do something real!!!
Yes I applaud all the money raised for ALS, really I do. That money one day may find a treatment and even a cure so that no one has to suffer from such a torturous disease ever again. But ALS is only one of dozens of things that should be demanding our attention.
So no I didn't dump a bucket of ice on my head last week. I spent the 10 mins it wouls have taken to fill a bucket and film a video to tell my girls about the great-grandmother that will never know. I showed them pictures and told them stories about her. I showed them things around our home that used to belong to her.
Then I asked them to go find 5 books to donate to our local children's hospital for kids there to read and enjoy. So now they AWARE that some kids are very sick and spend their days in a hospital room instead of going to school and dance like they do. They instantly wanted to do more to help other kids.
Because knowledge is power and now you know. What will you do with that power?
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