It’s devastating on a national scale. The fires that are raging across Australia have spread with terrifying speed and we grow more and more concerned with every news report.
Yesterday – although far from danger – our studio in Ashwood experienced an influx of smoke haze for the first time, really cementing the notion that we are all affected by these tragedies.
But a little smoke haze is not what’s making me write today. It’s the voice inside my head that keeps screaming at me: “What can I do to help?”
One of BDCs three core values is our dream of promoting sustainable practices for ourselves and the world we inhabit. We do this in many ways, such as teaching students the difference between warm-up and flexibility training to avoid injury, providing recycling bins and using environmentally friendly cleaning materials. These are small things, though they add up.
Now is a time of nationwide disaster, and we need to take action. It is vital that we give our children hope. It is vital that we give each other hope. But hope without action is futile. Hope plus hundreds of small actions can build to make a huge difference, and I believe this is where the change we so desperately need will come from.
The most effective thing that individuals can do right now is to donate funds to the CFA to aid in supporting their efforts in this awful time. These heroes desperately need financial support to keep fighting the flames.
BDC Dance Studios will be donating $1 from every student enrolled for term one, and I will personally match BDCs contribution dollar for dollar from my own personal finances.
I have a relatively small audience of students and their families. The most effective thing I can think to do is to amplify this message, as so many Australians are currently doing. My request for you is simply to talk with your family and friends. Teach the value of small, effective contributions and the ripple effect they can cause. Teach people the value of how good it feels to contribute to something bigger than themselves.
Don’t let them be crushed by thinking they can do nothing to help. The small things all add up.
