The (He)Art of Giving

As Christmas is fast approaching and we’re all in that mood for giving (and receiving of course!) it’s the perfect time to reflect on the year and help out those who aren’t so fortunate. Like Winston Churchill said: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

No cause is too big or too small, and no donation is insubstantial. Every contribution that we make goes towards a meaningful cause and every initiative hopes to build consciousness of the world around us. It’s easy to get lost in our routines or personal problems but we need to remember there’s a bigger picture to look at.

At STYLIGHT we have come together with a shared passion of raising awareness of the causes close to the heart of all STYLIGHTers. You may have wondered what was going on with the array of your colleagues dressed all in pink in October or why moustaches were in vogue during November…

So let’s look back on the charitable 2014 we’ve had here at STYLIGHT and welcome an even more conscientious 2015. Well done to every one of you for participating, donating and building awareness within our compassionate community!

Football and Goodwill
We kicked off the charitable efforts here at HQ during our football viewings. Be it Champions League, Bundesliga or those wild World Cup matches, we brought together food, friends and beer but also didn’t forget those who are not as fortunate. Propping up a donation box dedicated to the Nicolaidis Young Wings foundation, we welcomed donations for young disadvantaged children specifically those in mourning.

We managed to raise €1406 and we’re sure that every single cent was put to good use, funding social workers, therapists and counselling for young children.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Buckets of ice being poured over your head isn’t the usual team building activity or advisable daily conduct. However, we do believe in anything for a good cause, so we laid down that purple carpet, closed our eyes and awaited our cold cold fate. We nominated our fashion friends over at Vogue Germany, German supermodel Lena Gercke and the brand About You.
From the challenge we raised €500 for the German ALS foundation of Krzystof Nowak. Our aim was to build awareness of the brain and spinal cord disease and fund research for treating and curing ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

Wear it Pink
The ‘wear it pink’ event during breast cancer awareness month on Friday 24th October definitely brightened up the HQ here in Munich and was a great opportunity to infuse some colour into our autumnal wardrobes but the colour pink stood for MUCH more than that. An initiative from the Breast Cancer Campaign aimed to generate funding for ongoing research and educate people about the importance of breast awareness and regular checks. We at STYLIGHT raised € 1000 from the event to contribute to a cause that is very close to our hearts.

So where did our proceeds go? The donation to the UK went to the Breast Cancer Campaign that uses the proceed to fund impactful and realistic opportunities. By 2025 the ambitions are to predict more precisely and ultimately prevent 20% of all breast cancers, to diagnose 60% of breast cancers before they are symptomatic and to introduce increasingly personalised treatments and support to deal with the consequences of breast cancer. The final goal is to beat breast cancer by 2050.

 

Movember
So in the spirit of ladies first and men following suit, Movember (the month formerly known as November) marked the month of men’s health awareness. And so it began, on the 31st of October the men of STYLIGHT shaved that facial hair they had grown to love and assumed their positions as Mo Bros for the upcoming month. Whether you sported a curly, pencil, handlebar or barely there Mo the guys ensured that no one Mo’ed alone, with the teams MoSTYLIGHT and S’Mo’kinHot and their Mo Sista supporters. The month drew to a close with the ceremony of the year – the MOSCARS and we managed to raise over €1000.

But what were those moustaches for? The Mos (moustaches) served to encourage conversations and raise awareness about Men’s health issues. Indeed the moustache in itself was enough of a talking point but while you lured people in by that charming facial accessory the aim was to get talking about those important but often overlooked issues such as mental health, prostate and testicular cancer. Our donation goes towards the funding for men’s health programmes and we hope got a step closer to encouraging everyone to find support in their STYLIGHT Bros and Sistas out there Mo or no Mo.

STYLIGHT.hiv
Movember and Wear it Pink may have been in the spotlight but behind the scenes STYLIGHT is still at work. The recent STYLIGHT.hiv iniative is an effort to promote the digital Red Ribbon – a symbol of awareness and solidarity for those living with HIV/AIDS. All it takes is one small click on stylight.hiv, the site redirects to the STYLIGHT home page but in the process a donation has been triggered and hiv projects are forwarded a fund once a significant donation has been raised. The first and only domain in history of the internet to serve a social purpose .hiv funds projects that provide access to treatment and HIV medicine, so get on stylight.hiv and embrace the magic of the internet.

All of the above are initiatives that we have taken on collectively but if there’s any cause that you’re a supporter of that you think needs our help give us a shout and we will do our best in true STYLIGHT fashion to get together and help out.

Its not just about the money and there are definitely alternative ways of giving. For example, donating clothes you don’t wear anymore or helping out at homeless shelters and volunteering within the community are other ways to contribute this season.

Let’s remember that Christmas is a time to give and keep in mind that every little thought counts.