It's for charity

There's been some adverse comment following the news that people chosen to carry the Olympic flame around Britain have sold their torches on eBay.  Those who have spoken to the media have defended their actions by saying that they only did so in order to raise money for charity.

It seems that not only does doing something for charity let you off the hook but that doing something not for charity is now seen as suspect. Take the London marathon.  It started thirty or so years ago as a sports event. It is now a fundraising event. TV reporters stopping runners now routinely ask them "who are you running for?" At this year's event, one guy replied "for myself, just for fun" and was swiftly dismissed.

It reminds me of the story Doc tells in Cannery Row by John Steinbeck about how as a student he walked from Chicago to Florida just to see the country. Along the way, he told people what he was doing. They were suspicious and unwelcoming until he lied and said he was doing it for a bet at which point they invited him in for a meal.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't do things for charity if they want, just that they shouldn't feel that they have to either.

Dying for charity

The website set up by Claire Squires, the thirty year old from Leicestershire who died last week running the London marathon for the Samaritans, has now raised more than a million pounds.

I'm not sure how much, if any, support the Samaritans get from Government but as the economy goes into recession again, wages are frozen and unemployment tops two and a half million, it clearly needs more. As with other charities, the number of people committing suicide should not depend on how many volunteers are dedicated enough to run a marathon or shake a bucket in the street.

And maybe I'm being cynical, but I can't help thinking that the death of a young, attractive woman has raised money in a way that that of a middle-aged balding guy with a paunch would not have done.