I agree, in that it's more likely designed to inspire thought and where that might lead rather than simply donating the $50 to someone/something.
Year before last I was supposed to go to Tasmania to complete in a bike race.
I got chatting to a Tassie local on a cycling forum who was starting to push his distances out a little.
He started a thread, during the month of December, you were to post your longest ride, (with a GPS trace as proof), entries clsing on New Years Day.
He then challenged himself to beat the longest ride posted before January 6th. If not, he was going to PayPal the person with the longest ride in December as a "bet" if you will.
Anyway, the longest ride posted in December happened to be mine.
When I uploaded my ride at the stare of December I said to the guy that if he didn't beat me I would not take the $50, but instead I wanted him to pay it into the Bushfire appeal, Tassie was being smashed by fires and the race I was supposed to go out and do was cancelled due to them.
I also told him that if he did beat my distance, then I would put $50 in the bushfire appeal anyway as long as he put his original $50 stake in too.
Long story short, he didn't beat me, so he put the $50 into the appeal and I matched it, along with a few other people who had been following the thread.
I popped a note on the thread to say I'd put the $50 into the fire appeal, and this was the reply.....
I have been waiting all day to update this thread.
After reading this post from you this morning my wife and I got talking about what could we do to help. I felt so powerless.
So, inspired by your selfless donation we decided to get involved.
We contacted emergency services and asked what people needed in the way of donations.
Then with a shout out on my facebook page to all my friends and family-
"Going through the house room by room getting donations. If other people in hobart would like to do the same, I can pick it up and take it out when we go. Just let me know, and please check the Tassie we can help site to see what they need. Some things like Mens shoes, toiletries, non perishable foods and entertainment (books games etc), pots and pans. Go check the site and let us know if you can help and we'll swing by".
Within an hour my private message box was inundated with friends and strangers sending me their addresses and lists of items they could donate.
I hit up the neighbours too and got a couple of houses in the street all chipping in to make a massive non perishable food hamper and a whole bunch of other stuff.
We chucked the kids in the car and grabbed the smart phones and went to all the pickup points one by one all over hobart and down to kingston to collect the donations.
I couldn't believe how generous these people were!
Before we knew it we had the 7-seater Nissan Patrol loaded up and full as a goog with all kinds of stuff. Clothes, shoes, baby stuff nappies and clothes and linen, bags of clean socks and undies - most of them new and unopened christmas stocking stuffers, toys, toiletries, books, kids activity stuff, tonnes of food, camp chairs, sleeping mats, torches, batteries, you name it. All good stuff too. No junk in there.
We headed out to the drop off point and helped the crew load the stuff. The little one got involved too which was great. She gave away a whole bunch of her toys, some favourites in there, and some of clothes too bless her.
Here she is helping unload some foodstuff. Don't worry, didn't donate the beer!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd....403x403/796_10151229417288915_293240778_n.jpg
We just got home with big smiles on our faces. I feel so much better knowing that Propgates $50 has gone to this cause and inspired todays events.
Great day.
Unfortunately, I don't think the photo's work anymore but they were of him and his kids handing out the things they'd collected.
So, even though it wasn't the intention, that $50 inspired an awesome act of kindness by this guy and his family, it really choked my up at the time.
Just thought I'd share, it might help inspire some more lateral thinking on this thread how to use that $50?