In a world with so many problems and confusion, it can be difficult to find areas of hope sometimes. We may wonder about how we’re going to house the homeless, provide dental care for kids, or make green energy go mainstream to reduce pollution. While the government can provide some relief, it is only so big and has so many resources. Many of us realize that private charities sponsored by companies are just as responsible as individuals for filling in the gaps and making our collective dreams come true.
One charity that has been in the news recently is Sacks For Kids, which is sponsored by the law firm, Bordas and Bordas. This unique charity pledged to donate $500 per sack that the Pittsburgh Steelers made in their entire season, included pre-season. If the numbers are an indicator of success, it was a gigantic hit. Bordas and Bordas law firm donated $37,000 to the Ronald McDonald house for the 2019-2020 football season. This not only made the law practice feel great, but was working to help out a great cause in the process.
Today we’re going to discuss how this charity, law firm, and private industry, in general, can help out with good causes by simply taking culture and fun and mobilizing their best efforts towards donations. The Sacks for Kids program is a great example of how if a football team does well, this enables a large corporate law firm to make more donations to a charity such as the Ronald McDonald House. By simply allowing people to watch sports and make commitments, lots of good is done for regular people.
Not All Law Firms Are The Same
Law firms tend to have a bad reputation as cutthroat environments in which sharp lawyers try to wheel and deal with other people’s money. Lawyers, in general, are stereotyped as elusive, shifty, and perhaps amoral. This, like all stereotypes, is unfortunate in that it shapes people’s opinions of professionals that do vital work in our society. In reality, lawyers are regular people that operate on a wide variety of issues, from arranging and securing child support to tax litigation.
Lawyers operate in professional environments similar to corporations, and like corporations they enjoy engaging in philanthropy from time to time. Bordas and Bordas Attorneys at Law, PLLC is a different breed than the rest for sure. Even though they have offices in different states, they were still willing to commit to the Sacks for Kids program through their Pittsburgh office with gusto.
By engaging in philanthropy and being willing to put some of their own profits on the line for a better cause, Bordas and Bordas Attorneys at Law, PLLC was engaging in a type of pro bono work that anyone can support. Instead of having to fight for dollars in court and mix up people’s emotions, they decided to play a friendly game in a better way: by donating per sack that the Pittsburgh Steelers made. One could say this was a brilliant way to outsource donations to culture, fun, and creativity.
Sacks For Kids: Mixing Sports And Good Causes
For those who are not aware of what the Sacks for Kids program is, it is a relatively simple invention by Bordas and Bordas Attorneys at Law, PLLC in which they will donate $500 each time that the Pittsburgh Steelers got a “sack” (when the opposing quarterback is tackled) during their football season. Because they even included the pre-season, Bordas and Bordas Attorneys at Law, PLLC was able to donate $37,000 to the Ronald McDonald House for the 2019-2020 football season.
Not only is that a lot of football sacks, but that money will be put to excellent use by the Ronald McDonald House, which is a world-renowned charity. It takes something fun (football) and the anticipation of winning or watching and allows a large corporate structure to ante up toward a great cause. This not only allows a cultural event (football) to be more freely enjoyed by all, but puts a positive spin on what might otherwise be considered a trivial event. Suddenly, football sacks enable positive change in the world.
As a relatively new initiative taken up by Bordas and Bordas Attorneys at Law, PLLC, one can only hope that it will weather the future. Perhaps it will even alter the Pittsburgh Steelers’ strategy to get more sacks! One cannot necessarily equate football strategy with correlations toward donating to a charity, but anything can happen. The optimistic and positive press that such a thing receives may change many minds in the future and beyond.
What The Ronald McDonald House Does
If you’ve never heard of the Ronald McDonald house, then you’re in for a treat. Far from being a museum dedicated to the McDonald’s brand or their variety of fast food, it is a quality charity that does a large amount of good in the world. Started in 1974 by Gerald Newman (then Chief Accounting Officer for McDonald’s), it aims to provide a place to stay for families with hospitalized children under 21 years of age (or 18 or 26, depending on the House), who are being treated at nearby hospitals and medical facilities. There are approximately 214 Ronald McDonald’s Family Rooms in 24 countries and regions, making it truly an international phenomenon.
The Ronald McDonald House truly is versatile in terms of what they offer families, but one noticeable area in which they shine is helping families offset hotel costs that would otherwise be outrageously expensive. It has been reported that Ronald McDonald’s Houses provide over 7,200 bedrooms to families around the world each night, with an estimated value of $700 million in lieu of hotel costs. While this may seem like a drag to the local economy (especially if you own a hotel), many people would view it as an extreme positive. No family is ever turned away based on their inability to pay, easing the cost of hardship on what is already a strenuous situation.
They are always expanding what they offer children in terms of entertainment, distraction from hardship, and counseling. Some even have social workers and other professionals on site. Music education classes are on the table at some houses (provided there is a teacher), while others allow you to practice different skills such as chess or play games. Many of the houses are truly catered toward helping children and their families with serious health issues, and try to provide a whimsical and comforting environment.
Many people that volunteer at a Ronald McDonald House, such as college or high school students. It is well known that many American fraternities and sororities are enthusiastic supporters of the Ronald McDonald House, and sometimes have soda pop tab drives in order to raise money for it. Even if they are not involved in the Sacks For Kids program, it’s important for younger people to realize that their actions can have positive consequences that help other people. It is part of building a better future for all.
Why It’s Importance To Mix Charity, Culture, And Fun
One may be asking themselves, why doesn’t a personal injury law firm that is highly profitable just make a donation to the Ronald McDonald house and be done with it? What’s with all the shenanigans about having to track how many sacks the Pittsburgh Steelers make during pre-season and regular games? To the outside observer who doesn’t know about Sacks For Kids, this may seem like a roundabout way to give money that is desperately needed by people. But really, it is a way to mix charity, culture, and fun together in one large dose of optimism.
You don’t have to work at Bordas and Bordas as a personal injury attorney to know that there are children in need around the country and globe. This is easily verifiable with a bit of research and some soul searching. But when you involve the culture of someplace that you work (such as Pittsburgh) and another national brand (the Steelers) you unite large, corporate causes together in order to tell the masses about an issue or organization such as the Ronald McDonald house. That is why Sacks For Kids works so well and is effective.
Instead of just writing a check for a predetermined amount and going on with your day, the football season becomes a competitive race toward hope. How much will they donate? With each sack by the Pittsburgh Steelers, that is one less family that may have to tap into medicare coverage or other obscure benefits and can relax while their child gets well. If the Steelers please their fans, they do a tremendous amount of good in the process. Sacks For Kids optimizes the performance of a football team and steers it toward something positive.
Other Charities Like Ronald McDonald Houses That May Interest You
If the Ronald McDonald Houses peak your charitable giving strings, then you may be interested in some other nonprofits that work in similar ways. Some are hospitals, while others are secular organizations that seek to do the maximum amount of good in the world. No matter if you’re faithful or agnostic, there is some way for you to get involved in the well being of your fellow humans. Because at the end of the day, we are all humans that could use a bit of help. It’s not hard to do something good if you focus on the skills that you can bring to the table.
St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital is a well-known entity, especially among the medical community. Not only do they provide life-saving medical care for children, but many times they do it free or charge and allow the families to stay on campus or around their area of treatment free or charge as well. Sustained mainly through grants, donations, and volunteers to fund their large medical team, there are many smaller ways to get involved in helping St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital even if you are not a medical professional.
Habitat For Humanity
Habitat For Humanity might be the oldest housing charity in the USA, which helps to build homes for those that could otherwise not afford to buy them or get a mortgage. Compromised mainly of volunteers mixed with professional contractors, Habitat For Humanity manages to build hundreds of homes a year around the world through the help of people just like you. Part of the agreement of getting a home built for a resident means that the resident participates in the building of the home and helps build others’ homes as well. It is truly a participatory process for all involved.
Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is world-renowned for getting wishes fulfilled to children who have critical/terminal illnesses. Whether this means meeting a celebrity, having a dream fulfilled (within reason) or simply putting on a party, this organization truly does make dreams come true. Relying mostly on donations and a team of professional staff to organize such extravaganzas, you are able to donate money to them and volunteer when the wish is something that you can help out with. Children’s wishes are as varied as the colors in the sky, so have no fear that you might be called on one day to help out!
In The End, We Can All Use A Little Help
The majority of people reading this are probably not doctors, but recognize how important it is to take care of sick children and their families. Especially when they cannot afford it and would otherwise be in dire straits, a program such as Sacks For Kids can seem like it appears out of the heavens to bestow blessings upon mere mortals. From being able to pay the osteopathic doctor to providing free lodging, a partnership with the Ronald McDonald House can make the difference between tragedy and hope for many families.
To unite under our common humanity, even if it is for a sports-based program such as Sacks For Kids, is to move society forward toward progress that we all believe in. While we may have differing values, religions, or creeds, providing health care for kids or solving child cancer issues is a universal want. We would all like things to improve and get better, so that we become the best people that we can be. As we would take care of a member of our own family when they are sick or ailing, so shall we take care of others in their time of need.
Let this story of Sacks For Kids, even if you don’t work at a law firm or are a family law attorney, be an inspiration toward what common people can do. Perhaps you own or work at a coffee shop, office, or factory instead. There are always ways that you can take the productive capacities of where you work and who works there to steer it toward a greater good. Even donations of $50 can help a child or family in the Ronald McDonald house pay for meals, gas, or other small expenses. You never truly know what you can do until you try to give it your all and connect with others.
