Back To The Fu....ndraiser!

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads”

Right, this may sound harsh, but I’ve had enough of it! Last week a guy dressed as a cowboy carrying a jar full of jellybeans and a girl with a clipboard circled the building at work, looking for just about anyone and everyone to put their hands in their pockets and donate some money in return for a guess at how many jellybeans were in the jar. A none too unusual occurrence in the charity ‘money raising’ schemes world and something I have no qualms participating in for many of the good causes.

However, what I object to is the way it was done. An email circulated the company stating that the jar would be available in reception for all those who wished to participate to get involved. I’m even not too objectionable to the fact the jar was brought round person to person, no, what does rile me is the “tuts” and judgemental attitude given when you declare you have no money (made especially worse by the fact that everyone around me had gladly dipped into the wallets to donate and get involved in the guessing of how many brightly coloured sweeties were in the jar).

Believe me, if I’d have had more than the 25pence in my wallet, I would have gladly dropped in at least the 50p asking price to participate in the charity game, if only to donate than to actually win the prize of the jellybeans. Which brings me to another question, which person has manhandled those sweeties during the counting phase that would make me actually want them?
No, my problem is that I was judged by my lack of effort to put my hand in my pocket.

Really though, in a world where carrying actual real-life money is becoming less and less, and paying with plastic the preferred method of payment for just about every other item being the norm, why should I be judged for not having change about my person? Give me the option to pay via plastic and I might have donated...or even better in this ‘internal charity fund raisers’ let me pledge an amount to pay prior to the prize being drawn. The admin goes up, but it would surely give people the opportunity to source some additional cash funds to donate?

Changing the subject slightly, these last couple of weeks I’ve been totally immersed in a book that I’ve enjoyed just about every word of reading. Michael J. Fox’s “Always Looking Up”, provides a look back at events in this celebrity’s life since quitting the political comedy sitcom “Spin City” (of which the DVDs are still not available in the UK for some reason – surely they’d sell well here?), after deciding it was getting increasingly difficult to precede with the series due to his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The book is split into four different sections; Politics, Life, Faith and Family. The most interesting of these sections to me (in relation to this blog post), is politics.

J. Fox describes the feelings he experienced quitting the popular “Spin City” at the height of its popularity, quitting on the 100th episode, and then leading onto his examination of what to do next. The inspirational J. Fox however, through a chance meeting with Lance Armstrong and connections with Christopher Reeves, decided to set up a foundation focused on the research battle with PD.

A bit of research or background information for anyone not fully up to speed on PD, the research required to come up with a cure lies within ‘embryonic cell stem’ research; which opens a whole can of worms into the ethical rights and wrongs into the use of these cells and the prospects of the rouge few using this research to successfully clone human beings. Whilst I admit, it was never a topic I’d fully considered before both sides of the arguments are laid out by Mikey J. Fox and as he explains how he’s worked closely and campaigned for both those Republican and Democratic candidates who support cell stem research to get them elected, pushing the benefits any breakthrough research can bring to PD and other brain wasting diseases can bring to the quality of lives for suffers. Mikey J. also valiantly states that those people he is unable to convince into support cell stem research, either through ethical or religious objections, he fully respects their decisions and conclusions, but asks for their respect in allowing those supports to have their own views and allow the human race (and especially the US – the land of scientific development and reaching for the stars), to push ahead for the breakthrough so many people pray and hope for.

I now have an awareness of cell stem research and I think I’m now a supporter of such an action – I’m however, am not religious and as far as I can tell, the ethical implications are stale in comparison to the benefits allowing scientists to push ahead for a breakthrough in cell stems is no different to any other medical research that already takes place - a thought occurred to me, if the US is so against it, why not move top scientists to pro-cell stem research countries to partake in research and development? Although fortunately, President Barack Obama is a supporter of science and cell stem research (J. Fox tells of his vote for Obama for President and the wearing of his “Barack To The Future” t-shirt on election day!)

I wouldn’t normally promote a book for others to read, as not everyone would have the same taste in books or subject content as I do, but I would recommend “Always Looking Up” to just about almost anyone. Not only is it a great, thought provoking read, but also the profits from book sales are plunged straight into the “Michael J. Fox Foundation”, a truly worth cause. I’ve order J. Fox’s other book “Lucky Man” as a result of my enjoyable read and again any profits made from those book sales are donated to the Foundation.

For those who don’t fancy the read, and have a lack of change in their pockets, point their browser towards the Michael J. Fox Foundation website and donate generously using your favourite plastic card, no judgements will be made.





Additional: Even if you don’t donate, please check out the website for more information on PD and cell stem research and the efforts taken by Michael J. Fox and his team – this Foundation really could be “The Secret Of His Success”.