There are very many such charitable events – walking across South Africa or Australia for injured rugby players while the organiser also gets to some World Cup or Lions matches; even walking up Kilimanjaro, Peru, China or the like.
If I am to donate, I prefer to know the money is all going to the charity. I cannot recall ever making a donation where the organiser gets what some might consider to be a foreign holiday as commission.
But I have now had to make an exception to that rule.
The Hope Foundation has a scheme for Transition Year pupils, Children Helping Children, where schoolboys and schoolgirls from Ireland spend nearly two weeks helping out children in Kolkata, India. A friend’s daughter is collecting to go. The experience at 15 of having to raise €3,100 – the different tasks and the organisation of each of them – is so positive and is sure to be long remembered. Very tough but the amount required keeps reducing.
Meeting and helping the street children in Kolkata is sure to be etched on her memory for life.
I doubt if there will be very many exceptions to the rule but there is at least one.