There are people who will donate to just about anything, and there are fraudsters who are counting on that. I've never given or received money via a crowdfunding website like Go Fund Me, but raising money online for everything from vacations to new dentures is certainly growing in interest.
When I ran across the United States in 2006 to keep a promise to 97 elementary children, I had to pay for most of that adventure myself. The total cost was about $7,000 and I would say that approximately $2,500 of that amount was donated -- money being given by friends and some donated by strangers who would stop me alongside the road after reading about me in a newspaper. Back then, there were no fundraising websites like Go Fund Me available to use. Nowadays, raising money online for a walk or run across America is quite popular. Here are just four that I saw today from the Go Fund Me website:
Within the past year, those four people set up fundraising pages to help cover the costs of their journeys across America. All combined, those four people raised a total of nearly $38,000 just by having a Go Fund Me page with a little bio about themselves, their run, and their purpose. By posting a fundraising page, they were able to raise most, if not all, of the money they needed to be on the road for months to cross the country one step at a time. Again, I didn't have that luxury. In fact, even in 2006 it was hard to get the word out about my solo run across America. There are so many online avenues that crossers can use today in order to get their journeys known about and funded. However, be careful if you choose to send dollars to any coast-to-coast adventurer (or anyone else!) whom you don't know. Fraud does happen! You certainly don't want to give funds to a Forrest Gump wannabe who may end up taking your money and running... but not actually across America! Do your research!!
From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso
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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek
Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:
- United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
- Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
- Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
- Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
- The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
- Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
- Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
- Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
- Some Cycling Moments From The Past
