One of the many reasons I adore Hanson..
The future of giving. It is funny to think about charity today, what does it really mean to be philanthropic? Today we buy goods from across the globe, we touch base with others on a daily basis from our cell phones … and through Myspace. We trade ideas and philosophies with people in our classroom and in classrooms across the world in an instant. So why if there are so many ways that we use technology and our growing access to information and ideas for our daily life – why can’t we use those same daily actions and interactions to reach those in need. We went to Africa for the first time in mid 06. We went there to learn, as the laymen that we were. We wanted to see for ourselves with our own eyes the tragedies that had been reported by CNN. What we saw was not a statistic. We saw real people and real solutions in action and what blew us all away was that there was less despair than we had anticipated. We saw doctors with ideas, kids with hope and the resolve of committed aid workers. Our journey to support AIDS research began for real when we decided to step into the game in a way that was in our sphere of influence. We used what we had, our music. Thousands of downloads meant a real impact for many children fighting AIDS and poverty – that was the beginning. That one song and the idea of the giving what we could and reaching others with ideas and passion, has lead us to do one mile barefoot walks before every concert on our tours since last fall – we have walked 76 miles barefoot in snow, and sleet, in blistering heat and rain … and thousands of people have joined us. Through the efforts of MANY that have walked with us we have helped a great company called TOMS shoes give thousands of shoes. The goal now is to log every mile that is walked and make every mile count for a dollar – given by us to a cause that makes a real difference on the ground. Our walk is not fantastic, it is not grand, but that is exactly why it matters. We are a generation that is over prepared and under estimated. What would happen if each of us just took the walk. Join us for the next week and see what happens. Walk on – HANSON
