“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.”
- Ralph Vaull Starr
President's Page
Welcome to Worthy Causes, Inc.’s website. Glad that you have found us! Worthy Causes, Inc. got its start when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir refused to allow United Nations peacekeepers into the Darfur region of Sudan to stop the massive humanitarian crisis that was occurring. Darin Samaraweera and I decided that we needed to act. (BNSD) Our original idea was to get 25-50 friends together and raise maybe $25,000 to help CARE and Doctors Without Borders/ Medecins Sans Frontieres.
Our first organizing meeting was held during the last week of November 2006 with just 6 people. The event, however, quickly developed as academics, politicians, professionals, human rights activists, artists and ordinary citizens stepped up and wanted to help. Experts on Darfur and genocide, politicians and musicians, as well as Nicholas de Torrenté, Executive Director of Doctors Without Borders, and Fleur A. Just, CARE’s Darfur Advocacy Coordinator, all agreed to speak and perform to call for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Initial sponsors donated more than $25,000, the Royal Sonesta-Boston donated its ballroom, Joe Wheelwright got some of Boston’s most prominent artists to donate major pieces of art to our silent auction, and other businesses, major Boston attractions and individuals also gave generously to our silent auction.
The Boston Night to Save Darfur was a huge success with less than 5 months of planning, with approximately 600 people attending and hundreds more donating and volunteering. After all expenses, the Boston Night to Save Darfur raised almost $100,000 for CARE and Doctor’s Without Border’s work in Darfur. Leading up to the event, we helped to get substantial media coverage on the Darfur crisis. Thanks to the Boston University Center for Digital Arts, you can experience some of the excitement of the evening. The Boston Night to Save Darfur (BNSD) increased visibility in the Greater Boston area and beyond on the massive humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Worthy Causes, Inc. involved local and national politicians, including our Honorary Co-Chairs Sen. Edward Kennedy, Sen. John Kerry and Gov. Deval Patrick, and the participation of Sen. Joseph Biden, Rep. Barney Frank, and Rep. Michael Capuano; international celebrities Mia Farrow and Jane Pauley and Liz Walker also participated. Additionally, letters to the editor were written, petitions were signed, and many press interviews flowed from the Boston Night to Save Darfur. Finally, our invitation was a fabulous poster designed by Rose Srebro Design which was posted throughout the greater Boston metropolitan area.
We were blessed to have many great people and organizations involved in making this event happen. Many individuals put in many hours, professional donors provided space, graphic design, printing, marketing, and so many other services. Dozens of artists donated to the silent auction. Two songs, a poem and several pieces of art were created specifically for the event. Thanks to each of you for all you did!
In the midst of all of this, Worthy Causes, Inc. a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization was born. As soon as the name appeared, even before the Boston Night to Save Darfur had happened, people began asking, “What is going to be your next worthy cause?” The excitement of our Advisory Committee, volunteers and potential worthy causes has been truly inspirational. The overwhelming commitment to help out worthy causes and do our part to better the world has led to Worthy Causes, Inc. evolving into more than just a one-event charity. We are excited to select our next worthy cause and figure out how we can best help create a broader constituency which can expand the reach, awareness and impact of the work of our worthy cause, and provide resources to dramatically aid in their work.
I hope that you will join us. Please get involved in the next event, or take action on a previous event. If you step up, together we can change the world, one worthy cause at a time.
Mark W. Roberts