12 Odd And Awesome Things People Have Done For Charity

Creativity + giving = pure awesomeness. Naked Juice has teamed up with Wholesome Wave, and with the help of consumers, donated 150,000 pounds’ worth of fresh local produce to underserved communities.

1. A fellow in a Stormtrooper costume walked across Australia.

Raul Carrillo Garrido / Via Flickr: 24543279@N04

The Force is most definitely strong with this one: Star Wars super-fan Jacob French marched 3,106 miles cross-continent — decked out head-to-toe in full Stormtrooper garb — in support of the Starlight Children's Foundation, a charity that helps sick children in need.

2. Some Kiwis built the world's biggest slip-and-slide.

Live More Awesome / Via facebook.com

A gang of enterprising New Zealanders cooked up an incredible scheme to raise awareness of depression and mental health issues: Build the world's largest, slipperiest water slide. Tickets were sold on crowdfunding platform IndieGoGo, and the end result? Well, the end result was amazing.

3. Folks became real-life superheroes.

facebook.com

Who says you need Batarangs and heat vision to make a positive impact? The Real Life Super Hero Project is a gathering of men and women who've joined forces to better their community, and help foundations like Generosity Water — which supplies clean water to those who need it — along the way.

4. A baseball announcer treks from Philly to Pittsburgh.

infowidget / Via Flickr: 10219195@N06

You have to hand it to pitcher-turned-Pittsburgh-Pirates-announcer Jim Rooker. After throwing out an offhand comment that he'd "walk home" if his team lost its game with Philadelphia, Rooker honored his word, walking over 300 miles on a pledged trek back to his native Philadelphia, with all the proceeds going to the Bob Prince Charity and the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

5. A fashionista wore the same dress for a full year.

Via theuniformproject.com

Heading an incredible effort to promote sustainability, Uniform Project founder Sheena Matheiken pledged to wear one little black dress for a full year — 365 days — all the while raising over $100,000 in donations for the Akanksha Foundation.

6. Albert Einstein charged a buck for his iconic autograph.

Via en.wikipedia.org

So we all knew that Albert Einstein was awesome, right? But how about this: The famous physicist asked for a $1 to $5 donation before scribbling his name on a piece of parchment, and donated every cent to various charities.

7. Two Canadian politicians duked it out in the ring.

Shutterstock / Via shutterstock.com

It's every American's dream: To see two political opponents duke out their differences in the ol' squared circle. Our Northern cousins got to see this wish fulfilled, however, when liberal Parliament member Justin Trudeau and conservative Patrick Brazeau slugged it out in a boxing match, with all proceeds going to charity.

8. 33 folks rode a roller coaster in the buff.

hashir / Via Flickr: hashir

Wearing nothing more than their safety harnesses, a group of thrill-seekers — led by renowned speed-freak Richard Jones — rode Alton Towers' inverted roller coaster Nemesis in an effort to raise money for charity, breaking the Guinness world record for "Most Naked People on a Roller Coaster" along the way.

9. Ron Swanson shaved — and auctioned off — his famous mustache.

Parks and Recreation / NBC / Via mrwgifs.com

How often does one get the chance to own a fuzzy piece of television history? Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman shaved and auctioned off his famed facial hair in support of pediatric cancer charity Because of Ezra.

10. A kitty cat turned her paw print into a collectible work of art.

elainegreycats / Via Flickr: elainegreycats

Netizen Akslfak achieved minor internet fame when his smiling kitty cat Refurb found her way to the front page of Reddit. Next thing he knew, folks were demanding autographs from the newly famous feline, which Akslfak gladly supplied with an ink pad and his kitty's paw. Asking $10 for the paw prints, Akslfak donated every dollar to animal shelters and rescues around the globe.

11. Someone requested their favorite song for an hour straight.

babyviper.tumblr.com / Via en.wikipedia.org

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? During a VH1-hosted music video charity drive in support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, one caller donated a whopping $35,000 to have the network play "99 Luftballons" by German band Nena for an hour straight. The network obliged, and aired a full hour of the catchy anti-nuke anthem from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

12. And some friends play video games. Really fast. For charity.

Via en.wikipedia.org

Texas-based game-fans The Speed Gamers have combined two great tastes that taste great together: video games and donating incredible amounts of money to those in need. The group broadcasts live "speed runs" of popular video games across streaming service Justin.tv, and to date has raised nearly $400,000.00 — that's almost half a million dollars — for over 16 different charities.

Make your voice heard.

For more than 23 million Americans, a food desert is not a mirage. It’s a daily reality in hundreds of communities that lack access to fresh, affordable, and nutritious food. Spread the word against food deserts by pledging your support to the Drink Good, Do Good Thunderclap with just the click of a button, and help raise awareness of the problem by making your voice heard across Facebook and Twitter.