I love helping people out. (It gives me such a rush that you’d think I’d do it more often.) I also love a good cause. Put the two together and you get…
At first glance, Climbing For Awareness seems like a nice idea. The idea is that a special climbing team is attempting to climb the 7 Summits, or highest peak on each continent of the world, in an effort to “raise awareness of eating disorders and change peoples perceptions of eating disorders”.
Problemo Numero Uno
The expense. Do you have any idea how much money it takes to climb just Mount Everest alone? Estimates, depending on how many of your toes you feel are extraneous, range from $30,000 to $75,000 per person and up. Now times that by six for Mounts Kilimanjaro, Denali, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Carstenz Pyramid, & Vinson. I’m just saying, you could buy a lot of in-patient extensions for ED’d girls whose health insurance has run out with that kind of green. Or if while climbing Kilimanjaro you witness the numbers of African children dying from malaria, you could save 26,250 kiddos by buying mosquito nets at $20 a pop. That’d be almost enough to put Sally Struthers out of the late-night cry-a-thon business.
Problemo Numero Dos
Their mission. First up: “raising awareness” for an “often ignored or neglected disease.” Um, they are DISORDERS, not diseases and last I checked get an obscene amount of publicity which probably in turn begets even more eating disorders. Second: they also want “to show that having or had an eating disorder is not debilitating.” Actually they are very debilitating. That’s kind of the problem with eating disorders.
Problemo Numero Tres
It’s catching. I do realize that these people’s hearts are (probably) in the right place but there seems to be an epidemic of selfish look-at-me “charity” going on in our country. I can’t tell you how many times in the recent past I’ve heard this spiel about raising awareness. Snow Kiters raised awareness (but no money) for wind power in North Dakota. Rock climbers say that their “primary purpose” for climbing in China is to “raise awareness for potential environmental, historical and social risks.” That’s nice and all but I’m guessing that their primary purpose for climbing remote regions in China is to put up some wicked FAs (first ascents – the ultimate bragging right in climbing), nebulous philanthropy notwithstanding. Bicyclists ride 15,000 miles to “raise awareness of the international consequences of global warming.” I’ll be the first to say that riding 15,000 miles is impressive but do they really think that international leaders are going to look up from their piddly civil war disputes to say, “well, gee, if a pampered American with a crew and endless sponsor dollars at his disposal can ride a bike then surely we fix the environment!”
I Swear I’m Not A Jerk
I know there are bigger issues (Darfur? Myanmar? Twinkiegate?) to get upset about than some misguided people whom I’m sure really are trying to be nice. But my problem is that it really does take so little to help people in need and diverting these potentially life-saving funds to some grandstanding surfer who will make a pretty speech and then go home to his 4,000 square foot home in Malibu is a travesty.
Has anyone read Three Cups of Tea? You should.
Haven’t read the book, but I share many of these same ideas that you express. I like to get the most for my money and that includes charity. If I donate money to a cause I want to know that the most and best help will be gotten with that money.
And aren’t there better ways to get people with eating disorders to feel their self worth? I’m glad this guy/gal wants to put a purpose to their hobby, but it still sounds like a hobby.
I’m all for raising awareness, and I agree that these peoples hearts are in the right place, it’s just that the expression of their desire is a bit daunting.
But this is also kind of an example of how many girls with EDs are. We’re not only perfectionists, we’re over-doing perfectionists. It’s not enough to climb one big mountain, we gotta do seven. It’s too much pressure, and no wonder we start to feel bad about ourselves when we fail to meet the high standards we put on ourselves.
An ED is absolutely debilitating, I could tell you stories, but what I think they really mean to say is that recovery may feel like climbing Mount Everst, but it is possible to over come. That I can concur with.
One of the really great things about being a doctor is the many opportunities I have for “charitable” work! Don’t have to climb any mountains, just give the skills away, and everyone feels better 🙂
Dr. J
You go Charlotte! I love a good rant; especially one as intelligent and well thought out as yours. And I quite agree with you.
You’ve all said it so perfectly! I always wonder about those “charity functions” in Manhattan and Beverly Hills. Wouldn’t it make more sense to give money right to the charity, instead of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars on gowns, shoes, caterers, florists, mani/pedis, etc.?
But, oh wait! Then they wouldn’t be able to have their photos in the society pages of the “Times.” Silly me.
That book looks great.
And I really agree with you- whenever I’m donating to charities and such I always like to see the breakdown of where the money is going to. Because sometimes so little of it actually goes where its needed. Thats what I love about Doctors Without Borders.
Sometimes these missions to “raise awareness” seem to take away from the actual issue at hand… it turns into this abstract concept rather than a real problem; its almost as though sometimes the organizers get so caught up in the idea of it that they forget that its REAL PEOPLE who need help.
Re: the book Three Cups of Tea, YES! I’m in the final pages now, and it’s such an inspiring story of the huge difference one person can make.
Nice job raising awareness that some people are doing more than raising awareness. 🙂
I agree with Sagan! Drs without Borders is a great charitable organization that helps people worldwide. It is one of those charities where you know your money is going to help real people with real problems.
A-men.
Three Cups Of Tea examplifies a true desire to help. Greg Mortensen put everything on hold to build his first school. The book is amazing and it teaches a great lesson in selflessness.
As for me, I’d like to drive around the US in a luxury RV to raise awareness for the current state of decrepitude of our roads.
There.
Well-said!
Ooooo, I can’t wait to read this book. Everyone else pretty much summed up the way I feel. I would much rather lend a helping hand to those in need than to do something random that has nothing to do with the fund raiser itself. Great post!
touche! and i was looking for a good book to read