Fund Kona by Yourself (Mod post #54)

MaryB30

If you qualify for Kona or similar which is an epic achievement you have overcome so much to do that in the first case. To turn down the opportunity of a life time at the risk of fundraising or being fund raised for, I think is biting off your nose to spite your face. (Leaving other fundraising methods aside which I agree are dubious!)

I see this from a personal position that if I were to qualify (never happen):o I would turn hell and high water to get there. Down to the Credit Union, Dodgy lender or whatever.

Plus bear in mind you don't have to contribute. The same way you dont have to buy local Gaa/Soccer Club/Rugby lotto tickets.

In a local case people are choosing to contribute. I like the person thats why I am, others are not, no problem and good luck to them.

delboyfagan

I am aware that some people have overcome personal obstacles to get to Kona - it still doesn't alter my opinion.

Peterx

*waffle alert*

I like these type of discussions. It all starts out a bit Yes or No but sure enough after a while a little grey seeps in, along with some perspective.

I generally race an awful lot and therefore usually wouldn't dream of asking anyone to pay for my lifestyle choices. My colleague here in work is passing around a collection card as he is doing a Run-a-muck event soon. I contributed as he ;

a: hasn't run as far as a bus since leaving school
b: the chap has never pushed a card under my nose
c: the cause is both 100% deserving and small enough that all the money raised goes direct to the cause (it has no employees essentially)

He is paying for his entry to the mud race and you never know, he might even decide he likes running afterwards.

The bigger charity events generally turn me off, either as I think much of the money is spent on employee wages or I really dislike their marketing strategy. I cannot understand why so many charities believe offering €1000 to the winner will help their cause. Attempting to entice selfish elites doesn't work and even if it does the very point and essence of elites is that there is only a few of them! The strategy certainly doesn't attract 100's of non-elite entrants.
On the other hand the bigger charities have their place, thankfully usually far far away from this peaceful little country.

In general I try to avoid charity events. They (broad strokes here folks) tend to be poorly organised on the points that matter to me - timing, correct distance, clear rules - and high on waffle. Like this post.

Simply trying to fundraise the flight fare to go to Kona is perfectly acceptable though. If you judge that the person's case is deserving than contribute.

coL

Fair play to anyone who has overcome any type of adversity to achieve something that is important to them. But like I said before we have each heard of people not being able to take their Kona slot for financial reasons and is it really fair if the person who benefits from a roll down gets financial help to compete when the person who passed up on the slot in the first place didn't?

Its all well and good saying that others started collecting for someone without their knowledge but the option remains open to pay for it yourself and donate all the collected money to charity. Surely when someone accepts something like a Kona slot they must be some bit confident that they can manage it financially on their own as they won't know how much or how little they could potentially get through fundraising? This then raises the question does the fundraising just become a top-up to make it a proper jolly?

Personally I wouldn't let people pay for me to do something like Kona as they may feel it makes you beholden to them and all of a sudden what you do with and how you spend your money will be scrutinised in minute detail. The fundraising could be the difference between going with a road bike and staying in a 2 star hotel or flying there business class, staying in a 5 star hotel and racing on a fully spec'd tt bike (extreme example I know). The expectations of those donating must be managed with the reality of the situation and the persons financial capacity i.e. can they really not afford it or will the money be used for non-essentials.

The charities are a perfect example of this, when people were donating where did they think the money was going and if they knew exactly where it was going would they have donated?

With enough money you can climb Everest or go to either one of the Poles but is it right to ask people to fund this dream for you and at what point do you draw the line at funding another persons dream?

I will say though that I have more respect for someone who straight out says its for them to go do something rather than someone who collects in the name of charity to do something they want and from which the charity will see very little benefit from.

Peterx

Just fundraise for your flight/powermeter/massages in your own name.
Mention no charity and avoid either piggy backing or accusations.

Keep an eye out for new entrant abstacle course races. They can tend to offer €1000 for the winner, winning team. Handy money with the right team in place although if Bryan Keane shows up the winner's prize is probably goneski:)

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

I am currently looking at the cost of an event which i really want to do *read as a dream of mine to do when 40yo* and will likely cost 4x as much as a typical trip to Kona with support crews etc.
1. I will do this off my own dime, if it comes through.
2. I will not be seeking sponsorship from individuals to fund my dream/mid life crisis
3. I will likely do for a charity where all proceeds go to the chairty and not fund the trip. Someone might as well gain from some suffering on my part.

Some people are just different in how they view and do things.

Podge83

I went to the event in mentioned above last night. I had a great night listening to some good talks and indeed was entertained. I also enjoyed meeting friends, runners, swimmers and triathletes who I know but meet very seldom.

If the same show was put on by the hotel as a commercial event i would have said that it was good value. I don't see it as a donation, but am glad to know that its funding a dream for someone who I am happy to support. I wouldn't say that about too many.

If you have a problem with any events like these stay away from them!!!

I hope the funds enable her to hire a sports car, 4 star accommodation and a PA for the trip.

Dilbert75

Exactly the same Podge.

Oryx

I was there too, (nice to meet you Dilbert!) and agree, it was value for the price of the ticket. She didnt ask for this event, but she did deserve it.

tunney

Oryx wrote: »

I was there too, (nice to meet you Dilbert!) and agree, it was value for the price of the ticket. She didnt ask for this event, but she did deserve it.

Can I ask why she deserves it?

I know nothing about the lady FYI

Oryx

tunney wrote: »

Can I ask why she deserves it?

I know nothing about the lady FYI

Not gonna tell her story here. PM ya if youre really bothered.

RacoonQueen

I assume that this who the people of Wexford are talking about, I'm not sure it this is the person the OP was talking about
<Snip> let people do their own detective work rather than naming individuals

littlemsfickle

I guess for me it would depend on who was asking. If it were a friend at the same level as me then no, I wouldn't be keen to pay for them to go on a holiday which I couldn't afford to do myself. However I thought that the objective behind these kickstarter appeals was to provide a source of funding to top athletes who are competing at a high level but don't meet the criteria for sports council funding. In this case you're helping to enable a good athlete with the talent to do well to reach their potential, not indulging a vanity.

That said, as a poor student I couldn't afford to donate either way....

Podge83

Clarification required

Now that a specific person who has been "outed" and inadvertently dragged into this thread as a discussion topic, a little clarification is required.

Oryx has laid out above that this person didn't arrange this event herself and indeed was a little embarrassed about it.

Members of a club she is a member of (not the tri club) arranged the night independent of her and because they wanted to sponsor her participation in the World Championship of the sport in which she participates and to which she legitimately qualified for.

This is not someone trying to fund a jolly by looking for handouts or hassling anyone for money. An event, which had costs involved and in some ways was a risk to arrange was set up by others, advertised and promoted very well and made a success.

If Base2Race, Wheelworx, Velo or some other entity intervened with similar sponsorship nothing would be said. I probably agree with some of the sentiments against the sort of fund raising referred to above by posters on the other side of this debate (frankly that's none of my business) and I wouldn't post on this thread but for the fact someone is being discussed who should not be based on the original topic of the thread.

I really hope she doesn't read this thread!

Oryx

I did not want her identified and she would be deeply embarrassed to be discussed in this way. But I will say she is one of the most positive, cheerful and determined people I have ever had the privilege to meet and train with.

RacoonQueen

Sorry guys assumed people knew who yee were talking about since it was in the 'news'

To be honest, I would happily sponsor her as an exception to the rule but in a case raised by lilmissfickle I definitely wouldn't. Plenty of things like New York, London Marathons etc that people can do for 'charity' and need to raise a few K for but that pays for their entry, a party, t-shirt, training stuff, accommodation, transfers...I wouldn't sponsor in that case unless they were putting in 500 quid or so themselves (paying that portion of things themselves) I'm not paying for someone else to go on holiday / do the race of their dreams. I think this lady in Wexford is a unique case...

jamescantwell

I agree with most comments on this, that if you qualify for kona, you should be prepared to stump up the cash yourself and also if you're raising money by doing an event, you must pay for entry,flights, accom, food etc yourself and total and ALL money must go to the charity..theres so much abuse of charities and by charities in the last while, its very hard to know what's genuine when you donate!!...that marie keating thing is a bit much...surely doing an event to raise money for charity should be about comparitive hardship and suffering during the event? otherwise, why would people donate for it?

bryangiggsy

jamescantwell wrote: »

I agree with most comments on this, that if you qualify for kona, you should be prepared to stump up the cash yourself and also if you're raising money by doing an event, you must pay for entry,flights, accom, food etc yourself and total and ALL money must go to the charity..theres so much abuse of charities and by charities in the last while, its very hard to know what's genuine when you donate!!...that marie keating thing is a bit much...surely doing an event to raise money for charity should be about comparitive hardship and suffering during the event? otherwise, why would people donate for it?

Its important to also point out there are good charities out there... Charities that do great work were the services don't exist otherwise. It s so easy for people out there who don't bother donating to any charity to pick the one bad apple and take the moral high ground while at the same time damaging the good that a lot of charities do. I know that its off topic but I felt worthwhile pointing out.

jamescantwell

bryangiggsy wrote: »

Its important to also point out there are good charities out there... Charities that do great work were the services don't exist otherwise. It s so easy for people out there who don't bother donating to any charity to pick the one bad apple and take the moral high ground while at the same time damaging the good that a lot of charities do. I know that its off topic but I felt worthwhile pointing out.

Yea I agree with you 100%, there are certainly good charities in Ireland, but the point still stands though that a minority of people are abusing the notion of fundraising for charity in order to fund a lovely holiday abroad..

tunney

bryangiggsy wrote: »

Its important to also point out there are good charities out there... Charities that do great work were the services don't exist otherwise. It s so easy for people out there who don't bother donating to any charity to pick the one bad apple and take the moral high ground while at the same time damaging the good that a lot of charities do. I know that its off topic but I felt worthwhile pointing out.

but by people funding the charities then there is no obligation on the government to properly use the tax payers money to fund vital services.

Jobs for the lads, multiple pensions for the politicians, stupid rates of welfare. But no services.

Zzippy

tunney wrote: »

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



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.

It must take some chip on the shoulder to turn the OP's post into a rant about public sector workers and social welfare recipients. :rolleyes:


Actually on topic, I agree with the OP in most cases. I have raised money for charity but paid all entry costs, travel and accommodation myself, and I have given to charity where I knew the person raising the money was doing the same. Have little time for those fundraising for a holiday, where only a portion of the money raised goes to charity.

tunney

Zzippy wrote: »

It must take some chip on the shoulder to turn the OP's post into a rant about public sector workers and social welfare recipients. :rolleyes:

Mod EditSnip, attack the post, not the poster

And there isn't a chip on my shoulder. Only 45% of one.

shotgunmcos

Folks interesting thread.
Please stick to charter or thread will be closed

coL

I would definitely draw a distinction between those who pay their own way and those that use part of the collection to pay for the costs of the event. To my mind doing something for charity should require a degree if hardship or sacrifice.

I would agree that there are a huge number of worthy charities doing very important work. Unfortunately some of them at least seem to prioritise rewarding their senior executives rather than the frontline staff who actually do the work. I have no problem donating to a charity but not so that it can top up an executives pension. Until such time as there is a reliable charities regulator (we all saw what happened with the financial regulator) with an obligatory code of conduct or statutory regulation I personally have no confidence in any of the non-voluntary charities or charities where I do not know the people personally.

I would like to clarify that my original comments were about charities in general and not directed at the individual who has been referred to. <Snip> way too many assumptions there

Dilbert75

To my limited knowledge, the slot became available as the higher-placed competitor had been there, done that.

Mod snip - too directed to one person

But please quit the assumptions about something you know little about. Remember (best said in an Alan Partridge-type voice) when you assume you make an ASS out of YOU and ME. Actually no. Just out of you.

Podge83

Mods - This thread is going down the road of personal attack. I don't know if that's against the charter or not but maybe its time to close it before someone gets hurt by it, not by their own actions but by those of who don't know her and don't know or, if they do, appreciate the facts.

Everyone's had their say now!!

Open another one on charities/ personal gain by doing charity beano's if you want but if you do stick to the subject.

griffin100

Podge83 wrote: »

Mods - This thread is going down the road of personal attack. I don't know if that's against the charter or not but maybe its time to close it before someone gets hurt by it, not by their own actions but by those of who don't know her and don't know or, if they do, appreciate the facts.

Totally agree with this. This thread started off about how some people use the charity angle to get themselves into events and have the event paid for with whatever is left over going to the charity. The situation with the lady in question that seems to be catching peoples attention is not the same at all. I think Podge is right, its time to close or at least tidy up the thread, if the lady in question ever does read this thread it wont be nice to see her situation being thrown into an argument about spongers and welfare recipients.