First Ever Give Back Giveaway

If you’ve been reading my blog for longer than, like, a month, you probably know I’ve always been an advocate of giving back. Karma, my friends. Such an important thing, in so many ways. In that vein, I think it’s been way too long since 1) blogged about a good cause and 2) gave away something fun.

SO. Today I’m going to do both.

I have a friend whose son, at age 5, was diagnosed with Type 1 juvenile diabetes. The diagnosis altered his life dramatically, as well as the lives of his family members. Three years later, with an insulin pump attached to him 24/7, his disease is what his mother calls, “under control.” But controlled is not a cure.

A cure would mean so much more freedom for children like him. Every year, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation holds a Walk to Cure Diabetes, during which they hope to raise money for diabetes research.

This is the cause for which I will be donating this week. But that’s not all. In an attempt to reward (in a small way) my readers for their efforts to give back, I’m going to host a giveaway.

One lucky winner will be given the choice between a hardcover signed copy of Matched, by Ally Condie—OR—a paperback copy of Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison. This book is not signed, but if this is your choice, I’ll include a Sing me to Sleep bookmark, which IS signed by Angela. (Both books are at the top of my list of favorites, just FYI.)

To enter is simple.

1. If you aren’t already following this blog, hurry up and do that. Invite your friends, too, if you like. I won’t complain.

2. Donate to a charity of your choice (but if you donate to the same one as me, I will be ever-so-grateful).   **Donations do not have to be financial. Service to a greater cause is also acceptable. (Food to the food bank, manual labor to Habitat for Humanity, volunteering at a soup kitchen or animal shelter, etc.)  

3. Leave a comment here in which you tell me about the charity to which you donated, why you chose that particular one, and if possible, share a link that I can pass on to my readers.

This will be an on-your-honor giveaway, because I trust you. But just so you know, if you lie, Karma will send computer gremlins to break into your hard drive and lay eggs in all your programs and eat your important documents, and my parking fairy will curse you to never get a good spot ever again.

You don't want to bring Karma down on your head. Just sayin.

I’ll keep this giveaway open until midnight on Saturday, September 24th, 2011, and announce a winner sometime the following week (but hopefully Monday the 26th).

Go forth and give, my friends. Eventually, it will come back to you.