Alrighty, we are all set to go!
If you just came in, MJ fans around the world are coming together to give a gift to a children's charity for Michael's birthday. We are going to honour Michael by remembering him for all the humanitarian work that he had done, and to support one of the causes closest to his heart. (For an explanation, see:
Charity Project for Michael's Birthday.)
By popular vote, the charity that you, the fans, have chosen is
CURE Childhood Cancer.
“The first time the Jackson 5 did a benefit at a children’s hospital, Michael came home and cried all night at the memory of all those sick children lying in beds, some not even able to move their hands to clap. That is when he became actively involved in communicating with these kids. He corresponds with youngsters his own age in hospitals all over the country. These are not letters dictated to a secretary by a superstar, but letters written in Michael’s own hand during breaks in recording or rehearsing or even in school.”
- from “The Jackson 5 Really Changed!” article
As an adult, Michael visited sick children in hospitals wherever he went, invited them to spend time at Neverland, quietly gave them cheques for their medical bills, and made countless donations to hospitals and cancer charities around the world.
Today, we will be donating to CURE Childhood Cancer, to help fund research into finding a cure for children's cancer, and to support those affected by it.
I highly recommend that you visit CURE's
website and read about
what they do. See the
research initiatives,
patient and family support programmes and
educational programmes that your donations will be used for.
Some fans have asked whether this is a legitimate charity. Before you give any money to anyone claiming to be a (US) charity, check them out on the IRS database first:
IRS search for charities. You will be searching IRS's list of organisations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. (Click picture to enlarge.)
The charity that we are donating to is "Cure Childhood Cancer Inc., Atlanta, GA, USA". They are registered as a tax-exempt organisation with the IRS, which means that they are a legitimate charity.
You can also check up on their
charity rating and finances at Charity Navigator. This will tell you whether your donation will be spent responsibly.
(If you have any other questions or concerns, please post them in the comments form below.)
Ok then, here are the instructions on how to make a donation.
Go directly to
the charity's donation page. You can also reach this page by clicking the "Donate" button from
the main page or any of their pages.
Page 1:
1. Be sure to check "My donation is In Honor of someone." If you click "My donation is In Memory of someone", that's ok too. Same thing.
2. Under Program Area, select the first option, "Annual Campaign/CURE Challenge". This ensures that your gift will be matched dollar for dollar. (Click here to read about the
CURE Challenge.)
Page 2:
3. Under "My gift is in honor of", for "Name:", type
MJ. This is
very important for your donation to be added to the group total for Michael.
You do not need to enter the information in the other fields. I have made arrangements with the charity to send one card for all of us (instead of hundreds of cards) on the day after our donation period ends (August 29th). The card will state the total amount donated and will be sent to Katherine, Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson. I have already given them the address, so you don't need to re-enter it on the donation form here.
Page 3:
Check your details before you click submit.
Page 4:
Your donation has been submitted and this is your receipt.
An email will also be sent to you at the address you provided, with a copy of your receipt:
If you are a US resident, your donation is tax-deductible, so be sure to keep your receipt in a safe place.
That's it!
The charity has agreed to give us a total at the end of every week (Friday). I will post updates here and on
Facebook and
Twitter, so if you are a member at either site, join the group!
Please invite your friends and family to join us as well. Spread the word to other MJ fans at the forums or websites that you hang out on. The donation period ends
August 29th, so let's start giving!
... Let us realise
That a change will only come
When we stand together as one
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true, we'll make a better day
Just you and me....
