Zombie Walk Fundraising

This entry is a continuation of the first one that addresses the need for a charitable cause to be associated with the Zombie Walk event.

There has been a suggestion that we raise money for the Children's Hospital which is a great idea. However, I am concerned that associating a Zombie Walk with it's Undead bodies, oozing blood, severed limbs, and rotting faces, with a kid's cause could be perceived as "Too Intense" for children if you catch my meaning. But there definitely should be a charitable slant to the event.

But before we even consider a fundraising aspect to the Zombie Walk, lets first take an unbiased, objective look at the legal aspects of the walk.

Although I know little of the organizational structure of The Zombie Walk, I am almost certain that it is not an legal event: I don't believe permits were acquired for the event-please correct me if I am wrong. Consequently, this could prove difficult to have our walk sanctioned as an official charitable event for the Children's Hospital which requires an application and prior approval before the Hospital will align itself with any event.

Most charities will not want to associate themselves with what can be perceived to be as an unlawful gathering of a crowd that exhibits a blatant disregard for public safety, i.e. swarming oncoming traffic and causing traffic disruptions, illegally crossing through intersections on a red light, etc.

And of course there was the smearing of fake blood over windows and vehicles which is a labor expense to store owners and an inconvenience to car owners who now have to get out their cars to clear away the blood smears so there vision is not impaired while driving. Not to mention that banging on windows and rubbing up against cars could potentially cause some minor property damage like scratches in the body paint or cracked/broken windows.

See what I am saying? The Zombie Walk can be classified as a "Nuisance" event and what organization would want to associate themselves with it? The Zombie Walk would have to become "Main Stream" and legitimize itself with the proper permits and liability insurance which would contradict it's "Underground" nature and mystique which could make it much less appealing for potential zombie participants, reducing the overal interest and public turnout for the event.

So we come to a crossroad where important decisions must be made:

- Legitimize the event with proper permits and established codes of conduct, enabling the event to gain fundraising status and possibly attract sponsorship that could open the way to many more Zombie related activities and perhaps an official Zombie Day in the city.

- Or leave as it is and hope that no one gets hurt or property doesn't get damage which might force the police to ban future Zombie Walks.

...it's your choice.

My next entry will explore the Organizational aspects of an Official Zombie Walk.