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Out of Tragedy, Hope: Death of an Athlete Spurs Online Donations

When Claire Squires entered the London Marathon on April 22, 2012, she had no idea the run would be her last.  One mile from the finish, the 30-year-old hairdresser from Leicestershire, England, collapsed and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Stunned and moved by the tragedy, people began making online donations to the charity Squires supported, Samaritans.

According to an article in the April 24, 2012, edition of The Telegraph,

Today it emerged her brother Grant had died of an overdose aged just 25. Friends believe she was running for the Samaritans in memory of her brother.  Grant Squires died in 2001 from an overdose after becoming depressed following the death of his girlfriend Heidi Richardson, in a car accident which he survived.

The charity, which is the world’s oldest and largest suicide prevention network, has seen over 10,000 donations since the runner’s death, in amounts exceeding $825,000.

It’s hardly the only instance of headlines inspiring charity. When 13-year-old Madison Whitaker of Lincolnton, NC, lost his battle to leukemia, his family created a foundation that helps bring comfort and normalcy to families of children with cancer.

“When you hear those words ‘Your child has cancer,’ everything else just goes out the window,” said Cheryl Jones of Lincolnton, Madison’s grandmother.

The Madison Childhood Cancer Foundation provides donations of care packages, kitchen supplies, DVDs, video games, hats, and take-out meals–all with the goal of making in-patient stays more comfortable for young cancer patients and their families.

More and more, online donations are changing the way we see charity.  The immediacy of being able to read a news story, click a button, and donate to a related charity can transform the landscape of philanthropy.

iGivefirst connects media outlets with charities in an effort to create a safe, seamless channel through with donors can offer immediate resources to the charities that need it most.  To learn more about how we are facilitating a revolution in charitable giving, contact us.