Fund Kona by Yourself (Mod post #54)

delboyfagan

There seems to be a recent trend of people qualifying for Kona and looking for people to help them fund the trip. Holding social events, fundraisers etc.

This is why of the mark for me especially when some of these people are working, have partners who are working and even grown up kids who are working.

Just my thoughts.

delboyfagan

Oh and yes I haven't and never will qualify for Kona. Please don't use the sour grapes comeback.

mirrormatrix

What's your point exactly? I'm sure they're not claiming that they're raising the money for charity. Kona is, I imagine, bloody expensive and if they have friends/family etc. that want to help fund the trip then where's the harm in that?

Wouldn't accuse you of being jealous, just of making something out of absolutely nothing.

delboyfagan

Your right it's probably making something out of nothing. Just think its a bit cheeky to be even asking friends to fund a personal trip and maybe even a holiday thrown in.

tunney

mirrormatrix wrote: »

Wouldn't accuse you of being jealous, just of making something out of absolutely nothing.

It is rather irritating and people get irritated about lots of things. Personally this does annoy me, but not as much as Gerry Duffy.

mirrormatrix wrote: »

What's your point exactly? I'm sure they're not claiming that they're raising the money for charity. Kona is, I imagine, bloody expensive and if they have friends/family etc. that want to help fund the trip then where's the harm in that?

Kona is expensive, I'm not claiming I've any intention of (or ability to) qualified, but if I did qualify I would be at the Slots ceremony to loudly decline my slot and to take a little solace from the look on the person's face getting the roll down. Why decline? I cannot afford to go.

I suspect what is annoying delboyfagan is that this "fund my holiday to kona" is a symptom of a problem that we see repeated over and over again in today's society. Expecting others to fund their lifestyle. Be it public sector workers and lavish pensions which are not funded even with the levies, or scummers getting endless social welfare handouts because they keep popping out the next generation of scroungers. Pay for your own life, your own choices. If you cannot afford it don't do it.

mloc123

The country has a huge sense of entitlement.

You see it everywhere from people wanting free houses as they are having a child (hint, can't afford your rent? Don't add on the extra expense of a child) all the way up to those that want their mortgages written off.

Personally I would feel embarrassed begging for money to go on a holiday.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

This is a bug bearer of mine, it is nothing short of begging imo! Don't accept a fvking slot if you cannot afford it, really is that simple.

Package it anyway you want but it's paying for a very nice, some might say a trip of a lifetime for someone.

Oryx

I have a friend who is going. There is a fundraiser for her, which she did not set up, and is a little embarrassed about, but she appreciates that her friends want to do this for her. She is not going cap in hand.

Like tunney, if I qualified I would also turn it down, as I cannot spend that kind of money on a vanity trip. I spend too much on this hobby as it is. I certainly wouldnt take the slot and then hope I can tap my mates for funds.

My current signature makes this a little ironic, I realise. First and only time I've ever fundraised, and its optional. If I dont get donations, I stump up myself (as I have already done).

fully floating

Anybody know a ballpark figure for a trip to kona

Oryx

fully floating wrote: »

Anybody know a ballpark figure for a trip to kona

Flights and accommodation for one, 2.5k approx. Slot is 800 I think.

catweazle

A very thorny issue - I had a friend collecting 10 grand for some Tony O Reilly rugby charity - whereby he would fund the girl who collected the 10k an all expenses trip to New Zealand for the rugby world cup with tickets for the Irish matches and a quarter final I think thrown in. I think there was a 100k walk thrown in there somewhere as well spread out over a few days.

I knew her well and told her she had a massive neck coming to me looking to fund what I would call a holiday of a lifetime for the girl, however she didn't see it like that at all and said if no-one had a go and collected it the charity was missing out completely

I could kinda see her point but I would have been too embarrassed myself to go fund raising for it.

Fund raising for a Kona trip....no I wouldn't be putting my hands in my pockets helping out for that

bryangiggsy

Oryx wrote: »

Like tunney, if I qualified I would also turn it down, as I cannot spend that kind of money on a vanity trip..

Why would you call it a vanity trip?


I donated as i was glad to help out fulfill someones dream which might come not come around again

tunney

bryangiggsy wrote: »

Why would you call it a vanity trip?


I donated as i was glad to help out fulfill someones dream which might come not come around again

I think this is the one and only time that I will use this internet slang as it fits the occasion so well.

LOLZ

Oryx

bryangiggsy wrote: »

Why would you call it a vanity trip?


I donated as i was glad to help out fulfill someones dream which might come not come around again

For me that's what it would be.

bryangiggsy

Oryx wrote: »

For me that's what it would be.

Maybe if you took a lottery slot.

fully floating

Oryx wrote: »

Flights and accommodation for one, 2.5k approx. Slot is 800 I think.

So 3 months mortgage repayments couldn't justify it myself, luckily it will never be a problem

coL

I agree, there is no way I would give someone money to do something that they do recreationally as their hobby.

To me its very simple if you cant afford it don't do it. I would love a new TT bike but I don't have the funds for it so I use my road bike. I don't try to raise money from friends and neighbours to help me buy a P5.

If you don't have the money try to get sponsorship or something at least but don't hit up your friends and neighbours to try to get them to pay for a trip to Hawaii. A lifetime opportunity it may well be but we all know people, either personally or anecdotally, who couldn't take up their slot for financial reasons.

@delboyfagan Do you know of specific instances of this happening or are you speaking generally? From your example it seems that these people are being extremely cheeky by not even trying to dress it up with the "I'm doing it for charity" line.

Not trying to hijack the thread but if I could diverge slightly into the charity aspect for a minute I would be keen to get peoples opinion on events/challenges/experiences that are done in the name of charity.

I have seen an instance in the past where a person was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity. The amount that was going to be donated was only going to be what was left over after the trip was paid for and less a percentage for the guys expenses. The way I look at it this guy was collecting so he could climb this mountain for free. What is the fairest way to pay for something when you do it for charity and what should your contribution be beyond actually doing the event?

Is the charity and how they are going to use the money a consideration? Given the recent revelations about payments to charity bosses how confident would you be that the money you collect wont go into the pension/salary/expenses of one of the executives and would you feel responsible for this misuse if people donated to a charity because it was the charity you selected? I am planning to do a half ironman in November as well as the Abu Dhabi Triathlon Olympic equivalent in March, I will pay for them out of my own money whatever happens but would love to collect for two charities that mean a lot for me. However, I don't feel that I can ask people to donate money in good conscience without knowing for definite that the money wont be misspent. Sure the websites for these charities say it wont but I am cynical by nature and it will take more than that to convince me given all that has happened.

I don't mean for this to be rant but it just happened to be something that I was giving some thought to recently. I will leave you with this final thought, when it comes to charity Irish people lose track of what is important (supporting a worthy cause) while getting carried away with the fact that they are doing something for charity. Loads of examples but the one that jumps out is the one in Kerry recently where three truck drivers decided to raise money for charity by driving three trucks abreast (taking up the whole road) on a stretch of the Castleisland-Tralee road. They didn't tell the police they were going to do it and the road wasn't closed when they did it. Does the fact they were doing it for charity make it ok or acceptable? The judge didn't think so (http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/truck-drivers-jailed-for-two-nights-for-charity-race-on-youtube-29625455.html) and I don't think anyone else would either.

It seems to be that when something is done in the name of charity all rational thought goes out the window and people give money without thinking what it is for and how it will be used.

sconhome

There are a number of athletes across a host of different tracks & fields all using a crowd funding platform to raise money to fund their recreational aspirations.

I'm all for supporting sports and development of sports but surely when someone is of a certain caliber for competition then is it not the role of governing bodies or Olympic councils to identify and fund that talent?

I agree with the majority of the comments if you can't afford it you don't raise your hand. If it is your dream to go to the olympics or race Kona or represent Ireland then surely you should have been saving up all along so that you can fulfill your dream. Really, is it still your dream if someone else fulfills it for you?

Having said that I might change my mind when Team TriHarder are looking to go to Godzone within the next 10 years or so I always wanted to go to New Zealand but couldn't afford it it's a dream of mine!!

mossym

don't think it's an irish problem, been plenty of these in the us/on kickstarter funding races/trips.

some are doing it to fund going pro, including one of the irish underagers.

my biggest issue is with the ones that turn a holiday in a crowdsourcing opp. "I'm going to cycle from one European city to another, stopping in the most scenic stops along the way. i'll nominate a charity, pay for my costs out of what's raised, give the rest to charity, and have a free jolly around europe, while everyone thinks i'm great for raising money for charity"

seen more than one of them, annoys the hell out of me.

griffin100

I did my first ever Triathlon for charity. I paid for the entry fee, and I asked some of my suppliers to donate via their companies. I didn't ask any individuals for money (but I still got some). I raised about €2,500 and I was delighted with that. People gave money because the idea of me doing a tri at that stage was laughable and people were curious to see if i could do it. If I asked for money now I'd be told to feck off.

Someone in my club recently did her first IM in Europe. She paid all her own travel, entry fees, etc - but asked for charity donations, which people gave based on the fact again that this was someone doing their first IM off a limited tri background and they wanted to mark this. This I think is ok as a once off. Only the charity benefited in this case.

The concept of asking for donations to do something that in itself has to be paid for by the donations really pisses me off. I want to climb Kilimanjaro, ok, so I'll get someone else to pay for my travel, accommodation and whatever else is left over charity can have. That's bull**** of the highest order. Same applies to Kona in my book. Any AG'er who qualifies for Kona has done so as part of their hobby and tbh it's hardly going to be unexpected. They should be prepared to pay for it themselves. Whatever about my charity donation being used to pay for charity staff salaries (and I have no issue with this within reason) I'd be pissed off it was used to pay for a new power meter on someones bike or a new tri suit, which is essentially the same as using donations to pay your airfare to Hawaii.

Just my 2c

bryangiggsy

This is were i draw the line.. Marie Keating pros at it.

http://irishcharitychallenges.com/documents/france.pdf


Off topic
Out of curiosity did anyone who has commented on this thread so far donate to any charity last year? Am not talking a fiver here or a tenner there sponsor a line in work.

Oryx

bryangiggsy wrote: »

This is were i draw the line.. Marie Keating pros at it.

http://irishcharitychallenges.com/documents/france.pdf


Off topic
Out of curiosity did anyone who has commented on this thread so far donate to any charity last year? Am not talking a fiver here or a tenner there sponsor a line in work.

I sponsor a child, have done for years. Donate to the hospice foundation every christmas. Altrustic as hell, me.

coL

Surely when you make the decision to turn pro you should consider what the effect will be financially if you are not successful initially? Or am I being too pragmatic?

I knew the brother of an Irish golfer who turned pro back in 2002ish and one of the main factors in his decision on whether or not to turn pro was if he had enough money to cover the first years entry fees and travel expenses if he didn't win anything.

Unfortunately the harsh reality of this world is that we all have to cut our cloth to measure. If we choose a living that we love but we cant make a living from then something needs to give. Living the dream is admirable and I would encourage anyone to go for it but sometimes there are other factors which have to be taken into consideration such as who will pay for you to live the dream.

One thing I always wonder about the likes of the Marie Keating walks is they say you have to collect a certain amount but walking the south of France is hardly hardship and once you take flights, food and accommodation into consideration surely the amount the charity gets is a lot less. Would you not have been better off just giving all the money straight to a deserving charity if you really want to contribute?

LaGlisse

The ONLY way stuff like Tri/swims etc should be used to raise money for charity by an individual is when they cover all costs incurred in doing the event themselves. All money collected should go to the charity. Anything else is spoofing. There is events around that do things right but an awful lot of spoofing too, which seems particularly prevalent on social media. Kilamanjaro seems like a magnet for it, id say irish people have funded some amount of jollies to africa under the guise of charity

68 lost souls

gaa clubs and soccer teams fund raise all the time to send groups away to play matches they do bag packing etc . I see no difference in this and collecting for Kona

rainbow kirby

LaGlisse wrote: »

The ONLY way stuff like Tri/swims etc should be used to raise money for charity by an individual is when they cover all costs incurred in doing the event themselves.

Agree with this - and it also bothers me how many places are reserved for charity runners in races here. I did the Great North Run (ballot place) earlier this month and felt like the odd one out from people who finished in around 2 hours (yes, I'm slow) because I wasn't wearing a charity top. London Marathon is a bit of a joke in that respect, to the best of my knowledge there are actually more charity guaranteed spots than UK ballot places.

delboyfagan

Col pm sent

pointer28

Oryx wrote: »

I have a friend who is going. There is a fundraiser for her, which she did not set up, and is a little embarrassed about, but she appreciates that her friends want to do this for her. She is not going cap in hand.

Like tunney, if I qualified I would also turn it down, as I cannot spend that kind of money on a vanity trip. I spend too much on this hobby as it is. I certainly wouldnt take the slot and then hope I can tap my mates for funds.

My current signature makes this a little ironic, I realise. First and only time I've ever fundraised, and its optional. If I dont get donations, I stump up myself (as I have already done).

If this is the person I am thinking of and read about in the Local Newspaper recently, she is one person who most definitely deserves it.

Oryx

pointer28 wrote: »

If this is the person I am thinking of and read about in the Local Newspaper recently, she is one person who most definitely deserves it.

It is and she does. A very inspiring lady.

Dilbert75

Oryx wrote: »

It is and she does. A very inspiring lady.

I'm looking forward to that tomorrow actually, for two reasons: I've read the books and heard Gerry Duffy speak before (DCM 13); I spoke to the lady in question at the Wex Tri Club open night last year (think I might have been talking to Oryx there too!) and was mighty impressed by her, so I'm happy to support her trip and get something for me in return. There's no pretence that it's anything other than what it is so I respect that.

In contrast, I can't stand the pseudo-charity trips where people raise a load of money for charity but spend a load of it funding the trip. When I've raised sponsorship before I too funded the events myself.

tunney

I work in the IFSC and walking into work today I can see lots of people begging for money. I'm sure that they are nice people but I don't give them anything because it encourages begging and money isn't always the answer. A genuine case gets a sandwich, tea or similar.

I'm not suggesting that the person in question that sparked this thread will spend the money on drink and drugs rather than a hostel, or flights to Hawaii. However if I *had* to give money to someone it would not be to fly someone around the world to compete in an event that has zero impact on anyone else in the world.

There are nice people all over the world that want lots of nice things.
There are also nice people all over the world that need very basic things to survive and thrive.

Perspective people.