Last month, we told you about GISH’s 2019 Change a Life initiative focusing on Laos. Every year, GISHers blow us away with their generosity while fundraising for Change a Life initiatives, and this year was no exception. Whether the focus is on helping Syrian refugees, Rwandan farming communities, or a small South African village, GISHers never disappoint. Time to look at what you all have accomplished during this year’s Change a Life fundraising!
Creating Art and Changing Lives
GISH (the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt) encouragers its participants to be weird, create art, make memories, and spread kindness. One way that they spread kindness is by fundraising for a Change a Life initiative. GISH teams up with Giles Duley to raise awareness and funds for each carefully selected cause. This year’s focus was on raising money to improve the lives of thousands of Laotians affected by landmines. Part of every GISH participant’s registration fee went towards clearing unexploded landmines from farmland in Laos.
Fundraising through the Change a Life initiative aimed to go even further with a goal of fundraising $150,000 to provide prosthetics to Laotian children and adults. GISH teams and individuals created their own CrowdRise fundraising pages to participate in the Change a Life fundraising fun. And, wow, did GISHers show up to fundraise! 2,738 people created team or individual fundraising pages for Change a Life.
Setting Higher Goals
Initially, the fundraising goal for Change a Life: Laos was $150,000. When GISHers quickly surpassed that goal, the goal was re-set at $200,000. Then, GISHers worked some magic and passed that goal, too! In total, GISHers and Random Acts supporters fundraised a whopping $241,891 for Laos. This money will go towards bringing a specialist to Laos so that children and adults can be properly fitted for personalized prosthetic limbs, which will provide the recipients with a boost in confidence, mobility, and hope.
Thank you, GISHers, for helping us to make a real difference in the lives of those affected by landmines in Laos! Your generosity will be changing many Laotians lives for the better.
