Why I Ask
Written by Erin Santos, Isabella’s Mommy & President of The Isabella Santos Foundation
Why I ask.
A couple of weeks ago, I was enjoying a casual dinner with friends. We were eating our weight in chips and salsa and conversation turned to ISF, as it usually does. We started a conversation about a new concept I was trying out on Facebook to help raise money. It’s a simple idea based off our #isftagteam concept. Each day I ask 5 people to support children’s cancer research by tagging them on Facebook. It’s just a simple tag, asking you to take a minute and give to the cause of children who DIE from cancer. I don’t make you pour buckets of ice on yourself, you don’t have to do some silly dance or even do a single push-up – and you don’t have to tag others to do the same. You just have to support children’s cancer research. Make a donation of $5 or make a donation of $500. I don’t care what you donate – just support it.
I got pushback from my dinner companions for this concept immediately. “People don’t want to be called out publicly”, “You can get away with doing something like that, but I would never do it.” I kept explaining that I didn’t really think it was offensive. If someone directly asked me to give to something they really believed in, I would give. But, the looks on their faces told me that it was too “in your face”. Even though the conversation changed topics, I kept bringing it back to the simple question of whether or not I’m offending people by asking them publicly to support something that means everything to me. I couldn’t swing their opinion.
So I stopped doing it. My goal wasn’t to upset anyone or push them to give when they didn’t want to. That was 2 weeks ago.
I hated that I stopped.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized something. I don’t give a F*ck if it makes people uncomfortable.
There, I said it.
Do you know why it killed her? Because people are too nervous to ask someone to donate.
Not anymore. So I’m sticking to my guns here. Guess what, if I ask you – you don’t have to give and it won’t make me hate you. But if you do give, it will make me love you. It will make me love you because you get it. You understand that nothing will be done unless something is done. Someone once told me, “You know… I would give to ISF more if someone just asked me to do it. But lots of times no one asks, so I forget and I don’t donate.” I about choked when I heard that from someone recently.
So I’m making it my mission to just ask. No harm in asking. Things can only change if people take action and MAKE them change. My goal isn’t to put you on the spot. But sometimes you do things when you are on the spot. And I’m hoping that what you do when you are on the spot will bring change and save lives.
Let’s do this. Prepare to be tagged.
#ISFtagteam
Erin Santos, President of the Isabella Santos Foundation and Isabella’s Mommy
