Ahh… summer has finally arrived! I
realize that the “official” start of summer is still a few weeks off, but for
me Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. And by “my calendar” – we’re almost
a week into the summer season, which means it’s time to dust off the grill,
invite some friends and family over and have a cookout.
Now I’m sure you didn’t
need me to remind you that summer is a great time for a cookout. But I did want
to let you in on an idea a friend of mine gave me for my next cookout. The
concept is called Grilling for Change and the way it works is simple. You (the
host) provide a gathering place, a grill, meat and beverages (yeah… I know
nothing new yet, but wait… its coming).
Then select a charity
of your choice. When you send an invite to your guests let them know that you
are hosting a cookout to sponsor your favorite charity (e.g, Livestrong,
American Diabetes Association, American Lung Association or a local community
organization) and they donate any amount
they are comfortable with (maybe what they would have spent going out to dinner
one night). And if they can’t donate at this time – that’s fine too.
The friend who told me
about this idea set up her own website to track contributions and establish a
community of “grillers” looking to make a positive change on their community. (http://web.mac.com/michellemagan/iWeb/Grilling%20for%20Change/Welcome.html) I encourage you to check it out.
Feel free to submit your own Grilling for Change event or just use the site for
ideas on how to set up an event.
There are many charities out there and they all need our help. As one person you may not have the resources to make a meaningful contribution, but as a group the small donations we may hot have felt were worthwhile become larger and more meaningful.
Jason
