If you’re deep in snow and the thought of accepting the Ice Water Challenge (aka the Ice Bucket Challenge) leaves you cold, take a look at this video, made by my friend Heather Kirk. I met Heather at a lovely afternoon party for local authors. Each of us had five minutes to talk about our books, and Heather and I were both up there, enjoying our five minutes of fame. After we finished, she mentioned that she had made this video and wondered if I’d be interested in sharing it.
ALS is a personal issue for many of us. It has touched our families. But Heather has no personal connection to ALS. She simply saw a need.
Click here either of these two links to watch her video. Ice Water Challenge Video HJKirk or on YouTube.
Heather is one of the most creative people I’ve ever met. She’s a singer, a graphic artist, a book designer and formatter, a poet, and a woman who is deeply aware of how much we should all be concerned about leaving the world a better place than we found it.
To lead by example, she has established a company, PhotoGraphic Artistry, that donates a portion of all sales to the following non-profits: Return to Freedom, Wild Horse Sanctuary in Lompoc, California; World Vision Micro – micro-loans to entrepreneurs worldwide and educational programs for women and girls; and World Vision programs fighting human trafficking.
The point of the “Ice Water Challenge” or “Ice Bucket Challenge” is to pump some serious money into ALS/MND research. While it’s fun to make videos or watch them, it will only take five minutes to go online to make a donation. There are many ALS/MND organizations committed to finding a cure, but to my mind, one that stands out is ALSTDI (ALS Therapy Development Institute). These folks are working hard to fast-forward to a cure, and their entire objective is to focus on cutting edge research. Their website is a great place to check for places to enroll in clinical trials and to learn how money raised through the Ice Water/Ice Bucket Challenge is making a difference. A cure for ALS/MND can’t come too soon.
For more about Heather, visit her website, and treat yourself to her stunning images.
http://www.HeatherJKirk.com
http://http://www.HeatherJKirk.com