Zion Williamson. That's a name I never wanted to include in one of my blogs...for obvious reasons. But, the 2019 number one draft pick of the NBA set the standard for other players and owners in the league when he announced that he would pay the Smoothie King Center employee salaries when Covid-19 brought the season to a halt. Soon, other players in the league followed suit. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, even continued to pay his employees as if the season had continued.
NBA players covered the cost of hourly arena workers. Photo courtesy of CNN.
While many people succumbed to the chaos brought on by an unknown disease, this news brought a little light to the world. Soon, social media was inundated with stories of celebrities and companies donating to relief organizations, schools, food banks and more. As someone who has been passionate about volunteering since I was old enough to understand what it meant, I took notice.
From a young age, I participated in organizations like Girl Scouts and church youth groups where many of our efforts were focused on giving back. In high school, I was the president of the Helping Hands club. So, I was tasked with organizing volunteer days that were beneficial to the community and meaningful for my peers. Here at UNC, I completed the renowned Carolina for the Kids 24-hour Dance Marathon, volunteered my time to tutor elementary students after school and coached middle school volleyball and basketball.
Carolina for the Kids Dance Marathon 2018.
For something that has been so integral to my life, I have never really thought back to how it became so important to me. Looking back now, I realize that my parents, maybe unknowingly, were setting an example all along.
I remember them volunteering to build the new park in our little home town. I can vividly picture annual pancake dinners and of course the big fish fry. My brother and I would tag along and put our very basic skills to the test by filling up sweet teas and taking tickets. I always knew the dinners were supporting a cause, but they just seemed like social events. Maybe that is why volunteering feels so natural and welcomed? I grew up unwittingly contributing to a cause during what I presumed just to be a night out.
Now, with Super Bowl LV on the docket for tonight, I have been reading about the different ways in which companies are using the millions of dollars normally spent on a Super Bowl commercial spot for a more charitable purpose. In the advertising and public relations industry that I hope to enter after graduation, this has completely changed the business. When Covid struck, brands put everything on hold because who could morally justify pushing products when people around the world were suffering?
I have always known that I want to work for an organization that accepts and actively acts on their social responsibility. But, now I am hyperaware of this desire as I continue my job hunt and internet deep dives into companies in my field. It is easy to see which companies have felt the pressure to make some sort of donation compared to those that have ingrained giving back to their community in their mission and values.
As a young professional, I want the experiences that my parents had in organizations like the Jaycees, the Women's Club, school boards and recreation leagues. I feel the need to instill this sense of purpose in the next generation. As we have learned this past year, things only get worse before they get better, and it takes a community of impassioned volunteers to make a change. I, for one, cannot wait to be a part of that change.
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