Giving Tuesday: A Day for Giving Back in the Midst of Holiday Deals
It’s estimated that a third of American adults participate in Black Friday, a yearly national wide bargain bonanza that occurs the Friday following Thanksgiving. In 2011 Americans spent $52 billion on Black Friday and that number is on the rise. While this event is amazing for the economy as well as the consumer’s average spending ticket, I think it’s indicative that we continue to lose sight of what really matters during the holiday season.
This year, things are getting even more out of hand; retailers such as Walmart and Target will be opening on Thanksgiving evening so shoppers can get a jump start on sales. Thanksgiving is meant to be spent with family and friends, and to give thanks for what we have in our lives. I don’t believe we should be shopping during the holiday, and I don’t believe that employers of these companies should have to work. Apparently I’m not alone in feeling that the holidays are about more than buying as many presents as possible because there is a new movement developing in the US to bring our focus back to what is important.
Giving Tuesday is the charitable sector’s answer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s a campaign to create a national day of giving to start the annual holiday season, and it encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations. This day was created by New York’s 92nd Street Y partnered with The United Nations Foundations in 2012, and in its second year, I believe this can become an amazing day for giving back to your favorite charity. As a WDC intern I hope that’s us!
I’m asking anyone who can spare it, to donate a little of the money that you’ve saved over the course of Black Friday and Cyber Monday to WDC. With your donation you can help WDC end captivity for whales and dolphins, put a stop to whaling, end cruel dolphin hunts, limit boat traffic collision with cetaceans, and so much more. Please visit our WDC website on December 3, 2013 to support the work WDC is doing around the world. I’d like to thank any and all in advance who can donate to WDC during Giving Tuesday. With your help we can create a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.
