Putting the 'FUN' back in 'Fundraiser'

It seems like every charity and mascot dog has a signature fundraising walk now. I know this because not only have I pledged for a good friend's walk coming up in June (it's a great cause! Go here to sponsor her if you're so inclined), but I'm also involved in planning one of those very charitable fundraising walks with one of my jobs now. (It's a far cry from helping to organize a speaking event with no less than freaking Gloria Steinem, but I guess you can only have so many of those teeny-bopper-meets-the-New-Kids moments in your life. No big deal. PS: I'm glad it was Gloria I met instead of Jordan Knight. Thank goodness we don't always get what we wished for when we were 10 years old!)

Anyway, in an effort to learn more about how these events run (and also to discover the kinds of jobs I'll need to trick people into, erm, I mean... recruit for), I volunteered for yet another charity walk this weekend. The thing is: neither walk has happened yet, and I already know that the one I'm going to volunteer at this weekend will kick my own plan-a-charity-walk-a-thon's ass.



I've signed up to be a marshal at the "Walk a Mile In Her Shoes" walk this Saturday. It goes to support programs (education, counselling, prevention, etc.) at the Victoria Women's Sexual Assault Centre, and I must say that they have the single most brilliant gimmick I can imagine for a walking event. Men walking a mile in women's shoes??! As if that's not the greatest thing you can possibly imagine! The (all) male participants will be raising money to walk a mile in women's shoes, and the more money each participant raises, the more they will go from walking in simple pumps to getting stuck in plain old 3" stilettos. SWEET!!! Some of the participants (which include media personalities, crown counsel lawyers, and other pretty big wigs) are even shaving or waxing their legs if a certain pledge amount is reached. (This part isn't so big a deal to me, though, given that my own husband always has smoother legs than I do, not to mention freshly polished toenails. This is secretly one of the things I love most about Marty-- his baby-smooth (not to mention gorgeous!) legs and his m&m coloured toenails.. but I digress. It's a really big deal for the other lawyers in the crown counsel office watching their boss get waxed right on the office floor!).



My only regrets about this walk are that a) Marty won't be there to participate, because he's in Calgary for the weekend (he would have looked so pretty in high heels!) and b) that my own charity walking event will not be nearly as spirited, fun, or interesting to the general public. I'm so glad that the Sexual Assault Centre has such a great way for people to raise awareness and funds for their cause, but I really wish that we had a similar trick to pull at my job! I'll post photos after the event... you can bet I'll be bringing my camera!