The Y is quite thankful to be a part of such a great event. There is lots of synergy between the event and the Y, as the event promotes wellness, family time, and community support.
The Lakewood Service League is a Women's League in East Dallas that has been supporting local charities since 1982. The leagues tremendous work over the past quarter-century has greatly benefited many organizations in East Dallas, including the Y.
So, I ask the question: "What is one's motivation to serve?" When I think about personal motivation, I tend to think in terms of personal benefit. I think that all of us tend to think about the personal recognition that we might receive, the financial benefit of a behavior, etc. But what motivates one to work hard to create an event (such as walk, wag and run) that is selfless?
More importantly, how can we create an environment where a spirit of service becomes a social norm?
I had an interesting discussion with a colleague lately about family philanthropy. The premise was that adults find motivations to give. It could be that they want / need to give back, or it could be a simple as the desire to get a tax deduction, but, nonetheless, they give. Kids, on the other hand, may not understand the value in giving. So, the question was, how do we create a family philanthropic model that teaches kids the importance of giving back?
What language do we use to illustrate the importance of community support through charitable giving and service to others. How do we motivate others (kids and adults) to provide service to to others when there may be little personal gain from such an act?
And, for me, how do I raise my kids in such a way that they value service to others?
I think that there are some simple answers to these questions, including: leading by example and reinforcement of moral codes found in religion, but I believe that there has to be more.
This weekend, several dozen women will give their time to create an event that will greatly benefit our community. They understand the power of selfless acts and community support. Somewhere along the line, a valuable lesson was learned by each of the members of the Lakewood Service League. How do we bottle those learnings and replicate for the next generation?
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