Red Cross Blogs

Red Cross collection reflection

By Jim Griffin
May 6, 2010 at 2:44 pm

Red Cross Appeal Week is all about getting stuck in – although that failed to make the cut as official slogan – and staff and volunteers are always on hand to step in for a bit of bucket holding. We’ve been collecting at shops and train stations all week, and it was my turn yesterday to hold a bucket and look hopeful.

As a fan of people watching I do like a bit of bucket holding. I get to gawk at thousands of passers by and chat to random people and pretend I’m doing it for a good cause rather than just nosiness. It’s fantastic to see hundreds of generous people digging in their pockets, finding out about what we do and striding off with stickers on their lapels. But one of my favourite things is watching people trying to avoid my bucket. With that in mind, I present here the top three ways to convince a collector you can’t possibly donate:

1. The pocket pat

Pat both pockets – first left, then right – and look disappointed to discover your wallet has vanished. Offer a look of resigned helplessness. Ignore any jangling sound that comes from either pocket.

2. The rush by

Increase your pace when six feet from collector, remembering you have a train to catch/meeting to attend/surgery to perform. Slow down when six feet past collector having calculated the 12-foot dash has saved you enough time to ensure a punctual arrival at your destination.

3. The wide berth

Decide the best route out of a train station is not in a straight line out of the door by that man with a bucket, but in a large arc that takes you to the outer edge of the building before sweeping back just in time to let you narrowly scrape through the far edge of the exit. This is best followed by a 12-foot rush by as the arc will have added a good four minutes to your journey if done correctly; experienced wide berthers have been known to cross county lines.

My other favourite thing is the people who do donate. It’s remarkable how much we bring in from bucket holding. My two hour stint collected £75 from generous people chucking their coins on their way to work or school or wherever else they’re heading. Across the whole day they gave about £1,100. In short: they’re ace.

Of course the real story this week is not the bucket holding, the launch in George Square or the Olympic feats of volunteers in sponsored events. The real story is last night’s fundraising pub quiz in which a team of masterminds with towering intellects, great wisdom, good looks and noble chins powered through to win for the second year running. Modesty forbids me from saying which team I was in. Let’s just say I’m still sore from being carried out on people’s shoulders and spent the morning picking ticker tape out of my stupid mop of hair.

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Tags: collection, Red Cross Appeal Week

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 6th, 2010 at 2:44 pm and is filed under Fundraising and events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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