Food For Thought

Hey guys, here's a response to a comment, made by Dragon in the post, "We Are Go!"

It goes:

"To Ray Mun & Jimmy,

Hi. I'm a student from IMU. Heard bout this run recently & seriously, I was very impressed by what you guys are doing. Combining your passion for marathon with charity is somewhat a win-win situation for both you people & the children from the Shelter. It's not easy to raise fund esp from IMU students (well, look at the IMU ball committee people... but unfortunately they did not motivate me to donate... to me such money should be channeled for a better & more meaningful use instead for sheer enjoyment & fun... well, that's what I thought & you may not agree :))

Nevertheless, from what I know, the Infinity Milers is also organizing a Climbing-Mount-Kotakinabalu trip in this coming July. Is the trip still on?

If I'm not mistaken, the original fee for the mount climbing is RM 1000+. & after subsidized by SAD(or whichever sponsers you guys get, which I didn't know), each participant still needs to pay at least RM 500-600. This does not include the fees for the food, equipments, & various accessories required for the Mount Climbing.

I'm confused.

If those of you who are joining the KK trip (if it's still on) are able & willing to pay the sum for it, I don't see why it's so hard for you people to raise a sheer RM 500.

RM 1000+ is not a small sum to certain people, & so is RM 500 you guys are trying to raise.

But it's not the sum that matters.

Hope it's just me thinking too much & you guys can help clear my doubt."

Hello Dragon,

First of all, thank you very much for your support and your comment! It's always refreshing to receive some feedback, which I feel is extremely necessary for us to improve ourselves or to clarify certain issues.

Your comments are very interesting! Before proceeding further, please allow me to comment about the Mount Kinabalu climb on July 27th. This climb is not an Infinity Milers climb, but rather an M207 batch climb. However, I am not participating in this climb but I am assisting my batch mates to organise this trip.

Yes, the total cost of the trip (3D2N), inclusive of airfare, transportation, lodging, guide fees, park fees and food will total up to about RM1000, and we are not receiving any form of sponsorship to subsidise our trip. At any one time, only a limited number of climbers are allowed up on Mount Kinabalu, hence the RM515 that has been paid is to reserve the lodgings for the climbers at Kinabalu Park and Laban Rata during the hike. The remainder of the fees such as guide fees and park fees will have to be paid, eventually.

Either than running, mountain climbing is one of my other passions in life. Although I may not agree with the price that has been charged to climb Mount Kinabalu, there's nothing that can be done as this price has already been predetermined by the company that manages the climbs up Mount Kinabalu.

Moving on to other things, I always believe that if life, charity comes in two forms - charity for others, and charity for ourselves. There is a need to care for others - the weak, the underprivileged, but it is also impossible for us to be so selfless that we sacrifice our personal goals and ambitions in life for the sake of others entirely. Aside from loving others, we must learn how to love ourselves. Hence, a balance is needed.

There is nothing wrong with what you've said. The way I look at things, IMU Ball 2009 and the upcoming Mount Kinabalu climb are forms of charity for ourselves. For IMU Ball, donations were needed in order for the event to go ahead as planned. Imagine what life in IMU would be if we graduated from IMU Bukit Jalil without any proper farewell or ending!

Similarly, although the climb up Mount Kinabalu is expensive, the rewards from it is priceless. I have done my fair share of climbs, and the friendships fostered, memories obtained and the harsh lessons that I've learned through climbing cannot be bought using cold hard cash. No two mountains I’ve climbed are the same. It's unfortunate that the cost of climbing Mount Kinabalu is exorbitant, as I feel that the mountain is becoming too commercialized for it’s own good!

Having said all that, it is up to one's personal preference on how one chooses to spend his or her money. Whether the money ends up for personal charity or charity for others, is not for us to decide. I have learnt to respect that. It is just human nature.

If we look at Run For A Cause, one can choose to support this charity event in many ways. One way is through, of course, monetary contribution. I cannot deny that without the money that has been graciously put forward to be contributed to SHELTER – Home For Children under Jimmy and myself, we cannot qualify for Run For A Cause.

However, charity does come in different forms – moral and physical support, words of encouragement and motivation – things which remind me that the effort I’m putting is worth the pain and trouble. I have received plenty of morale support from a lot of people, including my batch mates who will be climbing Mount Kinabalu. They have contributed immensely, from contributing money to pick-me-up conversations, and I consider morale support as equally as important as the monetary contribution itself!

In a nutshell, charity is not compulsory, it is a choice. We cannot force people to donate or to help, nor can we expect people to contribute selflessly whenever necessary. There is no right or wrong. However, on a personal level, I hope that our (Jimmy and myself) strivings in Run For A Cause can inspire people out there to challenge the near impossible, for a cause higher than one’s own self. That is one of the many reasons why I’m running.

Dragon, I hope this answers a lot of your questions or doubts. Please feel free to reply whenever convenient. In fact, we can talk over coffee in IMU whenever you are free. If so, please do not hesitate to email me at raymun@gmail.com.

Thank you once again for your sincere comments :)

Your humble servent,
raymun