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Amazin' Avenue, the SBN Mets blog, does an annual pledge drive that I thought I would rip off. It's OK to rip it off because it's for charity. Please do not take this as an endorsement of justifying a bunch of weird things "for charity."
Sports fandom can become very insular if we're not careful. Sometimes I catch myself operating in a closed loop, full of Pitch F/X data, arbitration years and trade rumors. I enjoy thinking about this stuff immensely, but I don't ever want to lose sight of the fact that there is a much larger world out there - one full of suffering brought on by the mere accident of circumstance.
Fandom is a luxury - one that I can enjoy because I'm lucky enough to be healthy and safe. Fandom can also be a force for good. That's the idea behind the pledge drive.
We're asking for straightforward pledges, based on counting stats or a simple formula and around five items or less. Enter them into the form below and drop them in the thread too as a challenge, if you like. You can choose to reward the Reds for doing good or make good out of a bad outcome. The pain of watching a Drew Stubbs' K or Bailey Homer can be blunted knowing that it will go to a good cause.
Some examples:
- $0.75 for each Drew Stubbs strikeout.
- $.50 for each Mat Latos strikeout.
- $25 for each Reds complete game.
- $2.50 for each Jay Bruce home run.
- $1.00 for every Reds win.
- $10.00 for every Reds win against the Cardinals.
We'll keep track of the pledge totals and remind you at the end of the season. You can give incrementally or all at once. Of course, this is all on your honor. The idea is not to guilt anyone into philanthropy, but to have fun and do some good in the process.
The highest giver will receive a prize. For every $250 plateau RR hits, I will agree to change my avatar and signature for a week to a ridiculous thing of the community's choosing (in a separate thread, we'll put it to a vote).
The tweak I've made to the pledge drive at AA is to add a local charitable organization as an option. You can choose either of the following on the form below:
A leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, with an emphasis on women, CARE leads "community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of disease, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives"
"The Freestore Foodbank is a provider of emergency food and client services. It is the Tri-State's largest food bank, serving 20 counties across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. The Freestore Foodbank has three locations in the greater Cincinnati area: The Customer Connection Center on Liberty Street in Over-the-Rhine, the Mayerson Distribution Center on Tennessee Avenue in Bond Hill and the Jeff and Darlene Anderson Family Building on Central Parkway in the West End."