Yesterday, I was stuck on an airplane for most of the day. As I got ready for my trip, still intent on winning America’s Giving competition and half delirious with lack of sleep in my attempts to do just that, I imagined what amazing things could happen if all the people on a single plane collaborated to commit a single act of kindness.

So I decided to conduct a little social experiment, let’s call it the “Friendly Skies Experiment,” to find out how many people I could get on an airplane to do a random act of kindness for a stranger - in this case, the act being to make a $10 donation to Epic Change toward the rebuilding of Shepherds Junior school.

My game plan was simple: go up to each passenger who wasn’t otherwise occupied, ask them if they wanted to participate in my experiment and give them the following information card:

So once we hit an altitude of 30,000 feet (and I shook off a bad case of fear), I got up and went to the back of the plane to start my little experiment. I started off well, but let’s just say that the airline didn’t quite approve of my unorthodox approach. A flight attendant took me aside, actually to the flight attendant station and asked me if I was soliciting and if I had permission to do what I was doing. I explained that I wasn’t soliciting, that I was “experimenting,” and speaking only to those passengers who were otherwise unoccupied and who agreed to participate in my experiment. I added my personal philosophy that, in cases like this, “it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.” This particular flight attendant said okay, “experiment away”.

After handing out about 5 of the cards I’d prepared, the purser asked to speak to me, and requested that I conclude my experiment. Another flight attendant present said that my little experiment could qualify as a form of harassment. (Actually, the Ricky Martin sales pitch on the overhead projection system seemed more like solicitation and harassment to me, but I digress . . .) Of course, I immediately complied. I wasn’t trying to create a scene, just to come to a scientific conclusion to what I still think is a fairly interesting question: What if the free time individuals use on a plane twiddling thumbs could be directed toward discussing and taking small steps to address any single issue? The world might just be a lot better place.

So, the “Friendly Skies Experiment” was cut short, although I still wonder what the outcome might have been. I’m actually extremely proud of my fearlessness too; I think I’ve proven once and for all (as if my international Yentl impersonation wasn’t enough), I’ll do whatever it takes to make certain this school gets built.

Yep, anything - go ahead, double dog dare me.

Posted: January 31st, 2008 under The Foundry.
Comments: none

We got a note from Mama Lucy recently and wanted to share a few pics of how construction of the new Shepherds Junior school is coming along. It truly is incredible what she’s been able to accomplish in 30 days with just $30,000. We’ve even learned that she’s tapped water on the land, which is incredibly exciting!

It’s often said that things happen “Pole, pole” in Africa - Swahili for slowly, slowly. (Notably, “pole” also means I’m sorry for you!) Mama Lucy, though, somehow manages to consistently move “haraka, haraka” (hurry, hurry!). This is a woman on a mission.

Posted: January 28th, 2008 under Updates from Mama.
Comments: 1

Many of you have suggested that we write to Ellen DeGeneres to ask for her help with Epic Change, and I think it’s a swell idea. So we made this special, limited edition video blog entry just for Ellen. I promise this will be the only video you’ll see today (and, if we’re lucky, ever) that features me singing Barbra Streisand and Sanjay in pigtails, and includes the words “pie,” “Tanzania” and “rad” - don’t miss this awesome opportunity to mock us openly by clicking on our YouTube video below.

Feel free to give us a few extra hits by clicking “refresh” a couple times too. Once you’ve had the opportunity to regain your composure, I hope you’ll take a couple minutes and help us out with these 5 easy steps to help us get the word to Ellen:

1. Pass this email on to EVERYONE in your address book. Even if you’ve already forwarded our other emails, trust us, they’ll want to see this. :)

5. If you haven’t yet given, click here to contribute just $10 yourself.

I know you may have to sign up for YouTube and Digg accounts to help us out, which may take you 5 minutes, but it’s totally FREE, and definitely worth it as it really helps spread the word across the Internet. Of course, if you have any other imaginative ways to get the word to Ellen, please take creative license and run with it. America’s Giving Challenge ends at 3PM on January 31st, so we need to find as many new donors as possible before then.

With your help, I just know we can win.

Pass it on.

Posted: January 25th, 2008 under The Foundry.
Comments: 1