By Adam Floyd
Editor | ValdostaToday.com
Valdosta has no shortage of generosity.
I’ve lived in Valdosta for more than a decade, and one of the many things I have learned during that time is Valdostans love to raise money for charity.
If we took just a small sampling of upcoming events, we would find a wine benefit for Lowndes County cancer patients, a benefit concert for the BARC Humane Society, a birdhouse auction for Habitat for Humanity and many more.
It rarely seems a week goes by that we don’t have the opportunity to support our neighbors, fund local organizations or raise awareness.
These events provide much needed funding for important efforts in our area, and we should give what we can.
There’s just one problem: it is so much easier not to give.
It’s so much easier to stay home than to go to a benefit. It’s so much easier to keep a checkbook closed than to open it. It’s so much easier to say “no” than to say “yes.”
Event organizers are constantly coming up with new ideas to make saying “yes” easier and fun. (The possibility of winning dozens of bottles of wine is definitely enough for me to jump at buying a ticket to Corks of Hope on Thursday). Exciting events can bring in big donations, but any organizer will tell you they will gladly accept any donations, no matter the size.
And that’s how we can make saying “yes” a bit easier.
It may be tough for some of us to make a $100 donation or attend a charity event when our Sunday best is barely good enough for Sunday. But we can skip a coffee or movie rental and send that money to one of the seemingly countless organizations in our area that can put that money to good use.
This notion came into sharp focus for me last week while attempting to win big playing Powerball. I spent $21 trying to strike it rich, but I have often balked at even given a few dollars to charity events. That $21 got me no closer to becoming a millionaire. I wonder how far that $21 would have gone if it was put to use at The Haven.
So, if you don’t plan on saying “yes” to one of the many upcoming charity events in our area, please plan on saying “yes” to giving what you can.
Organizers would love to have you at their event on a Friday night, but they also love opening mail with small donations on Monday mornings, too.
