Ten Unique Stunts for Charity
For most people, promoting donations to a charity might involve dumping ice cold water on their bodies or running a race. But some people have gone above and beyond for the causes that they believe in, partaking in some truly unique and downright weird activities for charity. Read on to learn about ten unique stunts for charity.
Shaving Eyebrows for Polio
72 year old Si Burgher of Bloomfield, Indiana was known for his three inch long eyebrows — so long that he would brush them in the morning. But when he wanted to raise money for his local Rotary Club’s polio eradication campaign, Si decided to let people shave his eyebrows in exchange for donations. The first person to take a whack at Si’s eyebrows was his own wife, followed by many of his friends in the Rotary Club. All these people close to Si were very excited to cut away his eyebrows and give him a new look — all while supporting the fight against a debilitating disease. This unique and highly personal stunt managed to raise over $1,600 towards polio eradication, and left Si and his friends and family with some wonderful laughter and memories.
$140,000 Kiss for Charity
In 2009, Charlize Theron was offering a vacation to South Africa, tickets to the World Cup and a chance to meet Nelson Mandela as part of a charity auction. Disappointed that the bidding was stuck below $40,000, the movie star offered the highest bidder an additional incentive: the chance to give her an eight second kiss. When that wasn’t enough, she upped the duration of the kiss to twenty seconds, which was enough to secure a $140,000 bid. The funds went to the charity OneXOne, which is dedicated to improving the lives of children around the world by focusing on needs for water, health, education, play and nutrition. The lucky and generous donor who got to give Charlize Theron a smooch? A mysterious blonde woman who made sure to enjoy the full twenty seconds of tongue!
Lap Dances for the Needy
The Admiral Theater in Chicago is a strip club that hosts an annual Lap Dances for the Needy event each December. Patrons who donate toys for needy children receive free lap dances, and the event manages to bring in multiple carloads of donations each year. It’s certainly a unique incentive that’s managed to bring in lots of donations for an important and heartwarming cause!
Tasered for a Friend with Cancer
Sheriff Leon Lott of Richland County, South Carolina let himself be tased to raise money for a colleague who was fighting cancer. Lott showed he was willing to endure quite a bit of pain for his friend, letting himself get tased for 1 second for each $1,000 that was donated to the cause. He managed to raise $2,000, and in return, he bravely let himself be tased for a full 2 seconds. I think we could all use dedicated and caring co-workers like Sheriff Lott, and I’m sure my colleagues at WeTrust would happily let themselves be tased to help me… right, guys? … right? :)
Running 100 Marathons in 100 Days for Cancer
We’ve all heard of people running races for cancer, but Matthew Loddy of the UK took that to the next level. Inspired by a promise made to a friend who passed from cancer, Matthew ran 100 marathons in 100 days to bring attention to donations for cancer research. In the process, he ended up making three trips to the hospital — but it was all worth it in the end when he raised valuable funds for this important cause. The next year, he ran 30 marathons in 30 days and raised 100,000 pounds for the fight against cancer in the process. Today, Matthew continues to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust through his organization, the Framework Foundation.
Waxing Pubic Hair for a Hospital
Joe Cooper of the United Kingdom decided to raise money for the Leicester Royal Infirmary by letting patrons of a local pub wax his pubic hair. Pub patrons were able to bid on the chance to rip wax strips off Joe’s body, with the winning bid donated to a local hospital. Unfortunately for Joe, the person ripping the wax off his body ended up tearing some skin off his thigh. Joe described the experience as “horrendous pain and bleeding”, and even required a trip to the hospital. At least his suffering wasn’t in vain; Joe’s stunt managed to raise $4,500 in donations to the local hospital. I’m sure he also developed quite a reputation around his local pub as a brave and generous man!
Wearing the Same Dress for an Entire Year
Starting in 2009, Sheena Matheiken wore the same dress for an entire year in an effort to raise funds for the Akanksha Foundation, which helps provide education for children in rural India. Sheena photographed herself wearing the same outfit each day, creating a new “look” daily through clever accessorizing. The project generated a lot of interest and raised much more than her initial goal of $100,000 in donations. Since then, she has started the Uniform Project, a movement of women pledging to wear the same dress for 365 days. The amount these women save by simplifying their wardrobe is donated to underprivileged children in India.
Enduring Justin Bieber’s Music to fund a Culture Center
A lot of people find Justin Bieber’s music exasperating. They’re so bothered by it, in fact, that they are willing to donate money to make his music stop. A few years ago, students at Evanston Township High School in Illinois were bombarded with Justin Bieber’s music between classes. The only way they could make the music stop was by donating money to BooCoo, a cultural center at the school. Students became so annoyed by the music that within three days, they had donated the full fundraising goal of $1,000. This “Stunt for Charity” was a bit unique in that it was almost like a reverse stunt: the act in question was bothersome to the students, and they donated to the charity to make the stunt end.
Shaving (and Mounting) a Mustache for Cancer
Nick Offerman, the American actor known for TV shows such as Parks and Recreation, is often associated with his trademark mustache. The mustache has become so famous that when Offerman wanted to raise funds for pediatric cancer, he offered to provide a lucky fan with the mustache at a charity auction. This went beyond simply shaving the mustache; Offerman also had the mustache reassembled, glued, and mounted on glass for the winning bidder. The copious amount of effort led to valuable funds being raised for the Because of Ezra foundation — and also led to some mysterious fan keeping Offerman’s glass encased mustache as a keepsake of their generosity.
Skydiving for MS and the Blind
Larry Ekstrom may be the coolest senior citizen ever. On his 70th birthday, the aerial enthusiast skydived 70 times to raise funds for Leader Dogs for the Blind. That’s after his 60th birthday, when he skydived 60 times to raise funds for multiple sclerosis, which his wife suffers from. There’s something undeniably cool about a septugenarian going skydiving 70 times — and the fact that he was doing it all for a good cause only makes him cooler!
There are countless reasons to donate to charities: it’s a great way to help the needy, to feel connected to a community that’s bigger than ourselves, and to feel good about improving the world around us. But sometimes, we donate to charities to see a funny, interesting, or exciting stunt happen — to kiss a celebrity, or see a kind hearted old man skydive or shave his eyebrows, or even to stop an annoying song from being played. Some of these stunts are bizarre and undeniably weird, but they were all done to benefit a worthy cause and the world is a better place because they happened.
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