Stars of Hope

This past week we started our annual Stars of Hope campaign to raise money for four charities, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. We're asking movie goers to contribute $1 towards these charities. The corporate goal is a minimum of 1 percent of gross ticket sales, something very attainable. We ask donors to write their names on these stars and then we place them on the walls down both ends of our theater. It would be nice to line both hallways on both sides with red, white, and gold (corporate sponsors) stars. Here are my observations from working the box office over the weekend:

Most people say no when asked if they'd like to contribute a dollar to the Stars for Hope campaign. Probably 95% of the people asked say no. Of those who said yes, most were young and middle aged couples. The ones who said no most often were senior citizens and college students. High school kids said yes more than college students, which is understandable if they were using their parents money to go to the movies and college students might actually have to work their way through college.

Military gets the highest marks. Every person that showed a military ID card to me said yes when asked. Maybe it's something to do with giving back to the nation. I was very proud of my fellow active duty and retired veterans this weekend.:)

People who bought multiple tickets tended to donate where single movie goers tended not to.

A handful of people complained about being asked to donate a dollar when they'd already paid $9 to get into the movie. Some told us to take it out of the cost of the ticket. These are people you'd just as soon God didn't bless anymore until they learn a lesson in humility. It's perfectly fine to say no. You're not forced to give, it's just something the theater is trying to do to help the community. It's another thing to complain about actually doing something that will benefit someone other than yourself. You see, going to a movie is not a necessity. You can go your whole life and never need to see a movie. Going to a theater is about entertainment. It's a treat you give yourself; it's a two hour escape from reality.

Going to movies is a self-serving act. Charity is about serving someone else. You're paying at least $9 on yourself, but you're not willing to spend a dollar to help someone else. That's selfish. Sure, you might give to your church or to the Red Cross or the spotted-owl protection fund. You'll give the government up to half of your income in taxes (grudgingly of course). You'll pay almost $4.o0 for a gallon of gas and drive just as much as you did when it was $2.00 per gallon. It's all choices.

Maybe $1 is too much. Maybe 95% of the people come to the conclusion that they've given enough and what they have left they're going to give to people who can do something for them - like entertain them. And that's fine. I don't expect everyone to donate; I'm just asking that you don't complain because we asked you to give a little more. Just say 'no thanks' if you've given your fair share. If everyone gives their fair share, there won't be hungry children living in trash dumps in Iraq and Africa and China. If everyone gives their fair share than there won't be poverty and inner city kids will have a camp they can go to to escape the concrete jungles we build around them.

I have no strong feelings about any of the charities that Stars of Hope benefit, but I had a couple of dollars in my pocket that weren't needed, so there's a star in the name of my daughter and one in the name of my fiance because these are the people I work two jobs for. I honor them by giving a little bit to help someone else. It's not like I could have bought anything at the theater with the dollar anyway.