Published on Wed, 30/12/09 | World Boxing Caregivers

Here’s the latest on the Global Challenge from Eliie Cox, at Athletes for Hope. We sometimes do events with them. Next year, I hope that WBC WBCares will be involved in the challenge — this year, we cheer them on!
Jill:What is Global Giving?
Ellie: Global giving is a leading entrepreneurial site for online donations, founded just a few year ago. Globalgiving.org enables lesser known, grass roots charities from around the world who are willing to meet very concrete standards of transparency and effectiveness, to get their message out and to invite people to give globally, as well as locally, with the same level of confidence about how their dollar is invested.
Jill:Why did you decide to get involved?
Ellie: I am fascinated by the power of social media and the connection it creates for athletes and their fans to relate on different levels. We were looking for new ways to inspire athlete’s and charities to work together when I met the folks at globalgiving. Their fresh approach, enthusiasm and willingness to take on a big experiment with short turn-around made the difference. We first discussed the idea of a virtual athlete race for charity using global giving on October 21, 2009, and we launched the first phase of this social media campaign on November 24th…with 55 athletes and 55 different causes all lined up for the Race. The actual fund-raising race began on December 16 and continues through Jan 15th at midnight.
Jill: What are you hoping to accomplish?
Ellie:I hope that we achieve a number of goals – on the one hand we are trying to capacitate athletes at all levels to feel the power they have through social media to make a difference, and on the other hand we are ‘coaching’ a whole lot of charities that have little to no experience with social media and online giving programs. On a different side altogether, we are focused on exposing people, especially sports fans, to see the good that athletes are doing in the world, and to reverse some of the cynicism that is often accompanied with public perceptions of athlete philanthropy. In the end, we will consider it a victory if everyone feels that they have had a chance to learn something that will make them stronger and faster moving forward.
Jill: Does everyone share in the profits?
Ellie: As a learning experience everyone shares 100% in the experience. As a fund-raiser, may the best competitor win! The race is not designed for equal spread but, as with any race, to award 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers with a grand prize.
Jill: Who’s in the lead?
Ellie:That answer depends..we have both cumulative totals and six daily “heats” throughout the race. And, to level the playing field among people of different means, we have 2 categories for finishers – one with the most donors at $10 or more, and one for the most dollars raised. The fun part of the heats is that someone can sprint forward from the middle of the pack and take the lead, as happened yesterday. We had a legendary basketball player (Steve Nash) and a recently retired Beach pro-volleyball (Eric Fonoimoana) in a sprint to the finish – each one beat the other on one stat by a small margin. They each won $500 bonus for their charity. In the cumulative race, Kristine Lilly, world cup soccer player and leader on the Boston Breaker’s pro-women’s soccer team, has captured 1st place in BOTH categories, but she will need to sustain that lead for another 2 weeks to win the grand prize of $10,000 for each category.
Jill: Tell us something exciting that would make us donate to the cause?
Jill:Each of these charities and athletes thought carefully about how to make clear the difference a $10 donation will make to another human life – what is more exciting than knowing that you are truly making a life better and that, in spite of it all, you can be as big a philanthropist and hero as those who inspire you?
Jill: Next year, this time?
Ellie: Would love to see the sports media join the race, what an amazing show-down that would be. Wanna help recruit?
Jill: Hey, I get to ask the questions! But as long as you asked…Of course!

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